Baby of the House
by Sartjd1
Summary: A father is the greatest role any man has to play, and if he fails at being a father; He fails everything. But success is not due to spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire. House's journey through the self-doubt, joy and fulfillment that fatherhood brings. But will he succeed like he desperately wants too? (Read and Review :)
1. Chapter 1

House laid awake in his bed. The room lit only by the small amount of gloomy winter morning sunlight peeking through the thick bedroom curtains that decorated the frost covered window and the alarm clock that radiated the time; 5:30 am.

_She'd be awake soon,_ he thought. He peered over to the crib that was beside him and smirked slightly as he saw his baby girl sleeping soundly, her chest rising up and down with every breath. Her thick, dark brown hair scruffy from tossing and turning during the night.

House wrapped a large hoodie around himself and went to the dresser in his daughters room across the hall. He got out; thick red,wool socks with a matching red, wool hat (courtesy of Cuddy), and a furry white long sleeved baby-grow. He held the bundle of clothes as he proceeded back across the hall to where his daughter was sleeping soundly in the crib he placed protectively beside his bed.

He, Wilson and Foreman built the crib (yes, it took _**ALL** three_ _of them_ to build a damn crib) in Houses bedroom as during the night it was decided that House would not have to limp so far to tend to his child. However, House's main reason for having the crib _right_ beside his bed was that he couldn't sleep without knowing that his daughter was safe where he could watch over her. (But of course he kept this secret from _Wilson_. No need for a _long_ speech telling him how he really had a heart, _blah blah._)

House planted the clothes on his bedroom radiator to warm them, opened the curtains, and hastily dashed to the bathroom to freshen up. It was when he completed his morning routine that his baby began to stir and stretch, gradually awakening from her slumber.

"Hey, baby girl." House whispered as he greeted her.

House reached into the crib and picked her up as she gently groaned. She yawned and rubbed her face with her small, pale hands. She was today, only a week old and House felt like she was the most fragile thing he had ever held in his hands, and thus treated her so. She was so precious.

House gazed down to his baby, "Time to go to work," he said rocking her gently in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2 :Work it, Baby

House limped into the bustling hospital lobby and dusted speckles of glistening snow off his daughters hat. He could only _imagine_ how many people were...

"_House, I need to talk to you**.**_" Cuddy yelled to House across the lobby, attempting to push past the swarms of patients, nurses and doctors.

House picked up limping speed trying desperately to dive into the cover of the elevators, away from enemy fire and into ally land. "_**House**!_" Cuddy called after him.

House smiled mockingly and waved as the metal elevator doors slammed shut.


	3. Chapter 3: IT'S RHABDO!

**Hope you are enjoying the story so far, and hope its not too wordy for you, if it is let me know :) And I have purposely not let you know the name of House's baby girl yet, so keep reading if you want to know it ;)**

"It could be Fibromyalgia... Urine sample had damaged muscle cells."

"Lupus?" Cameron mumbled looking up from her file and removing her reading glasses.

House swung opened the glass door and entered the diagnostic's office. "Morning, peeps. Case?"

"Yeah. 30 year old female presenting with chronic muscle pain." Foreman stated and tossed House a patient file as he sat down, his baby girl still comfortably within the baby carrier with her head leaning against the warmth and security of her fathers chest whilst Foreman brushed her hair with his fingers tips.

"Boring. Its probably Rhabdomyolysis because of trauma when she _fell _from a building." House said closing the patient file almost as rapidly as he opened it.

"We_ know_ its Rhabdo, because the ER _knows _it is. Urinalysis confirms its Rhabdo, but she didn't fall that far or hard according to her colleagues. She was only cleaning the first floor window's," Cameron replied with a tinge of annoyance to House's dismissal of the patients case.

"And according to the guy holding the gun in the book depository, the Kennedy's had a lovely trip to Dallas." House bounced back sarcastically, removing his scarf and hat and placing them on top of the blue file.

"Maybe her muscle fibers aren't as strong as they should be, and the fall -_however_ _large or small_- could have damaged the muscle cells and knocked 'em loose." Chase suggested siding with both argument's whilst joining the rest of the team with a cup of black coffee.

"She's already had dialysis. Her urine shouldn't still be brown meaning that there could be an underlying issue at hand." Foreman added clasping his hand together whilst Cameron gently stroked the pale rose-bud pink cheek of the baby's face as an equivalent of a greeting.

"Or maybe the muscle damage is more extent then we first thought... We just gotta hit it harder. Give her hemofiltration. To really make sure that all the myoglobin that's damaging her kidneys is gone", House said as he released his baby girl from the constraints of the baby carrier and kissed her softly on the head before sitting her on his lap, " if she gets better we know its Rhabdo and if its something else then we'll regroup."

Foreman smiled gently at the curious infant that was intrigued by the outlay of the room, taking everything in, before rising to exit the room with Chase and begin treatment.

House, Cameron and his tiny tot sat in comfortable silence.

"She gets more beautiful each day, she has the biggest lips and eyes I have ever seen. You ready to beat the guys that will be swarming around her when she's older?" Cameron questioned as she held the tiny baby's delicate hand's.

"I won't have too. She's never going to leave the House," House joked.

Cameron chuckled and smiled. "I never figured you as the over, over-protective type. Your going to be a great Dad."

House smiled looking down at the cute, plump infant that was being adorned by Cameron's undivided attention, like she had been since House first took her to work with him. Figures Cameron would melt at the sight of a beautiful tot like his. So had everyone else but with Cameron being in proximity so much of the time and her overly caring nature, it was mostly Cameron who flooded his offspring with affection and cooing.

House began to feel unsettled by Cameron's compliment. He just didn't know how to respond to it.

"Foreman and Chase might need help down in the patients room. You should go," House said whilst retrieving a warm bottle of fresh formula out of the baby bag and removing the plastic lid. His girl had began to get irritable (_and who wouldn't from Cameron's overly empathetic nature_), it had just turned morning feed o'clock.

Cameron quickly removed her thick, gray coat and redressed in her lab coat that was hanging besides the office door on the coat stand, leaving the room void of overwhelming empathy which was quickly replaced with overwhelming irritability when Cuddy entered the diagnostics office...


	4. Chapter 4: tINY tOT hOUSE

"Why _thank you_ for running away from me when I needed to talk to you." Cuddy stated slightly annoyed, carrying her phone between both her hands. Carrying her phone out for everyone to see meant, like the business of the lobby reflected, that the hospital was extremely busy today.

"Well I thought since it was perfect organ donor weather you'd be too busy with that instead of my issue's." House said disparagingly whilst cradling his infant, who was feeding from the bottle hungrily as he raised both his legs and crossed them on the table.

"I just wanted to see how you were both doing; whether you would be getting a babysitter, have you heard from her mother yet... _blah blah blah._" Cuddy blathered as she placed herself on the metal chair adjacent to House and removed the red, wool hat from the infants head then examined it curiously."Is this the one I got her?"

House nodded. "And the socks," he pointed out.

"Aww," she cooed. Genuinely touched that House clothed his baby in her gift."So?"

"We are doing fine. No I have not got a babysitter and ditto with the mother. How could she get in contact anyway," House frowned, cleaning up dribbles of milk from his baby's face with his coat sleeve that he still had neglected to remove from his body. "She didn't leave any contact info. She probably didn't take mine either..."

"Ahh, I see." Cuddy nodded understandingly. "It bothers you doesn't it?"

House looked up to Cuddy briefly and then glanced back down to his child. Cuddy knowing she had touched upon a sore subject set the red hat flat on the glass table and stood to leave.

"Well there's daycare downstairs if you need to take her down there. I've already notified them about your little bundle of joy." Cuddy informed before finally departing from the diagnostics office.

House set the empty bottle down on the table. "Oh teeny tot House. I'll never leave you in the dungeon that is the downstairs daycare."


	5. Chapter 5:The measurement of attachment

"Constant physical contact. The best way to bond with a child and is how parent and child create a strong attachment. An intense emotional bond that lasts a lifetime, assuming of course that attachment is strong between the primary caregiver and child. I think this is good for House. Teach him responsibility, empathy... All those other traits House _lacks_."

"That or it could go _horribl_y wrong. We need to touch base with him. _You_ need to touch base with him." Cuddy expressed with undertones of worry in her voice.

Wilson, still continuing to flick and peruse through clinic files at the nurses station, "She was born 6 days ago. I don't think she can detect House's disdain for the human race _just_ yet." He Clumped up a hand full of red files. "And she is his baby. He's not going to harm her or abandon her. You seen what she's like with his kid? He _obviously_ besotted with her or he'd dump her on your door step," Wilson gestured.

"Well like you just said she was _just_ born 6 days ago," Cuddy maundered waving her hands and chaperoning Wilson to the clinic exam rooms, "could you just speak to him? See how he _really_ is? He's not the most open of guys."

Wilson chuckled dismissively, "try asking the prostitutes he's slept with." Wilson nodded finally understanding Cuddy's warranted concern as he acknowledged his own comment, "I'll talk with him."

And with that Wilson closed the exam room door.


	6. Chapter 6: Wet Toes

House rocked his baby to sleep by swiveling side-to-side on his office chair he sat in, watching her eyelids of her bright blue eyes begin to get heavier and heavier as she became more exhausted. An afternoon of being read too and playing with her Daddy when he was _supposed_ to be working had left her enervated by the time of her afternoon nap.

House had drawn the blinds of his office for privacy, over-curious eyes and wagging tongues had the hospital on fire with gossip about the "limping gimps" baby which in theory wasn't a bad thing as it _was_ winter and a nice warm, open fire wouldn't be so bad...

Foreman opened House's office door and popped his head around the corner, "The patient is recovering just fine. Turns out it was just Rhabdo, myoglobin levels in her urine are pretty much close to zero now."

"Yeah," Chase had now pushed the blinds aside, "we're keeping her overnight for observation, but she should be fine."

House nodded, "Great. Now go tell Cameron that I was right. Where is she by the way?" He whispered. Trying desperately to keep a voice volume balance of loud enough for the boys to hear him, but not waking his newborn that had now fell asleep in the comfort of his arms.

"Cuddy cleared us all to go. Snowstorm is about to hit us and there's enough staff here, so we get to go home." Foreman shrugged.

"Just thought we'd update you on the case before we left," Chase informed.

House was now standing on his feet and placing his girl into the mose's basket that he "borrowed" from the pediatrics department, tucking her in with layers of blankets _(also borrowed)_.

"See you all tomorrow. Unless its a snow day..." House stated, "in which case, _ha-ray!_"

Foreman already having his stuff packed and ready, up and went. But Chase stayed and stepped closer towards the basket that the baby was sleeping soundly within and inquisitively looked over the infants form.

"Haven't been able to have a proper look at the little tyke," Chase whispered. "She looks beautiful. You sure she's yours?" He mocked.

House chuckled, "of course I do. The DNA test told me. I'm not _that_ stupid," he scoffed as he picked up his coat from the back of his chair and put it on. "And where else would she of got her good looks from?" House added wagging his eyebrow humorously.

"You want some help with the stuff?" Chase offered gesturing to the baby bag.

House nodded, locked the door of the office and strolled down the hall to the elevator with chase. His child beside him in her basket.

* * *

"So, what's her name?" Chase asked standing besides House in the elevator peering at the infant, "I haven't been able to really get to know her. Everyone's been hogging her since she came on the scene."

"Yeah. Jealous a new babe has come and stolen the nurses attention away from you?"

Chase's chuckle bounced around the metal of the elevator. "Well the novelty of a new baby will wear off which I know you will enjoy; no more unwanted attention. So I plan to splash my toes around in the pool then. You know... _really seize my chance._"

"Well if you ever want dry toes get one of these," House replied gesturing to his baby and looking down again at her.

_She really was beautiful with no faults whatsoever. The consequences of 'wet toes' weren't as bad as he wanted everyone to think._


	7. Chapter 7: Ruler of the House

**Hey guys, please let me know for any future plot lines you want me to write about. I would really appreciate feedback of any type :) **

"So what is her name?" Chase questioned again.

"Her name is Etta-Amelia," House answered turning his head to Chase. Wanting to see Chase's reaction to her name. "In German the name Etta means 'ruler of the home' and the name Amelia means 'striving'."

"Well when she hits her teen's she will defiantly be ruling the House," Chase smiled.

The elevator door's opened and House and Chase exited the elevator onto the threshold the lobby. The snow past the glass entrance doors of the hospital becoming more visible as it fell heavier and thicker with the hospital lobby becoming thinner in population. Only 6 days on from new years day the world had not yet adjusted back into its previous years workings it seemed.

Wilson suddenly appeared out of the doors of the clinic and caught House and Chase's gaze.

"House! Do you guys want a lift home?"


	8. Chapter 8: His better half

With Baby Etta asleep in her crib and tucked away from the bitterness of the outside world protected from the cold beneath layers of blankets, House and Wilson sat in the living room with drinks in hand. The crackling of the open fire filling the breaths Wilson took between each sentence, unfortunately this man took very little breaths and far too long a time talking...

"So how's it like being a dad?" Wilson asked, his eyebrows arched questionably and his face warm and receiving.

He _obviously_ had something else on his mind and this was just the beginning of Wilson easing into what he _really_ wanted to express. House had a faint idea of what he wanted to lecture him about and he knew it wouldn't be a comfortable evening. He knew Wilson would ask him something of this nature sooner or later, and the thought of his best friend asking him a question like this made him feel as though his face would turn the same orange glow that was illuminating the living room from his dark wood fireplace.

"_Like everything I ever imagined since I was a little girl,_" House said sarcastically,"no. Wait a moment. _That's not right._"

Wilson raised his thick eyebrow, fully aware that his friend was attempting to deflect.

"Well...New kid... You never _wanted_ kids. _Just saying_. Was wondering how you were coping with this."

House paused, "its fine. She's fine. Sleeping, eating, pooping, etc."

"Well, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, House."

**_Oh God, here it comes. _**

House stomach began to feel queasy as it sank lower within his body. Wilson continued, "children need more than you to just attend to their basic needs. They need love and guidance. She is going to need you to always be there for her, always consistent, and always there to comfort her. I just needed to know whether you were fully aware of that and whether your ready for this."

House was slightly offended, "No!_ I'm not ready._" He snapped. A silence fell upon the apartment, the atmosphere becoming thicker with the hurt and uncertainty he had kept bottled inside since he first found about the newest fruit on the House's family tree, "but what else am I meant to do?"

Wilson was silent. Not from shock but from conformation of the truth that he and Cuddy had already knew. House felt wretched.

"Well there are several options..." Wilson began, "I could help out more, Cuddy could help out too, parenting classes, foster care, adoption..."

"**Wait, what? **Foster care and adoption? No." House objected, raising his voice a little. He was never under the illusion he was going to be 'dad of the year', but he was never going to be so bad as to warrant giving his baby up to strangers, she was apart of him. _The better half of him. _He couldn't comprehend being separated from her.

"Well, I'm not saying you should give her up," Wilson replied defensively, "but if you can't offer her what she needs..._Then you got to give her to someone that can."_


	9. Chapter 9: Yappy Nurses

**Three weeks later**

House strolled in from the frosty, bleak February weather of new Jersey and took cover within Princeton Plainsboro hospital through the doors entering the lobby alike to his new accustomed routine with Baby Etta-Amelia cemented to his side.

House placed the baby car seat on the lobby's admitting desk as he perused through medical referrals searching for one that appealed and complimented his intellectual mind, however something else caught his attention at the corner of his eye.

Three nurses standing at the far end of the lobby huddled together in a group, muttering and staring at House and his offspring. House turned up to look at them meticulously in the eye's from a distance, causing a quick dispersion of the group.

Nearly a whole month after her being born and the nursing staff were still yapping. He'd lost count of how many _ridiculous_ rumors he had heard about his tiny tot's 'coming into existence'.

The 3 week old began to gurgle and coo in her car seat which made House grin. This was that good age that babies begin to gurgle and their arm movements become less jerky. He could hold her and she'd be able to hold her own head up enough to look at him now.

He put his finger out to allow her to wrap her entire, smooth hand around it and kissed it gently. T_ime for breakfast._


	10. Chapter 10: Baby at brunch time

11:50 am; Cameron paid her lunch money to the till and returned her purse to her bag. She carried her toasted cheese sandwich that was tightly wrapped in cling film and her water bottle to House's cafeteria table and sat opposite him as she began to undress the wrappings that confined the sandwich.

"Hey, how is everyone today?" Cameron said cheerily. Greeting House senior and junior.

"We are happy, happy, happy." He replied stealing half of her sandwich and biting into it, allowing his mouth to fill with the warmth of melting cheese. Causing Cameron to frown in disapproval.

_Sandwiches always taste better when they aren't your own._

"Good to hear." Cameron clasped her half a sandwich whilst observing House multi-tasking; feeding on her other half with one hand and feeding his daughter with a bottle in the other. "Cute outfit," she stated in reference to Etta's ladybug baby-grow she was wearing with a matching red winter coat.

"Its all _Chase's_ fault," he replied and taking out an envelope he had kept stashed beside his baby in her carrier car seat. "Medical case." He stated passing the file to her.

"Symptoms?"

"Male in his early 20's, no lung problems but trouble breathing with shortness of breath."

"Emphysema?"

House set the empty bottle into the baby bag and retrieved baby wipes and a toy. _God, she'd drunk that fast hadn't she? Explains why she dribbled so much down her cheeks. Perhaps he needed to adjust her feeding time? Maybe then she wouldn't be so hungry, _House blathered within his mind.

"No," House replied snapping out of his thoughts."No family history of it and no smoking," he explained cleansing Ettas face gently with a wet wipe.

Cameron paused. "Heart problem?"

"No history of that either."

Chase and Foreman appeared into the cafeteria and had spotted House. Chase made his way over to the table Cameron, Etta and House had situated themselves at whilst Foreman went to retrieve a cup of coffee from the coffee dispenser machine.

"Hey guys," Chase greeted and stole a glug of Cameron's water as he sat beside her.

"Chase! Am I _that_ much of a pushover?" Cameron questioned looking both at Chase and House.

"Yes," Chase and House answered in unison as Chase drunk her water and House ate her stolen sandwich.

"Could be Sjogrens," Chase continued in reference to the referral request Cameron was holding.

"Damages the heart's mitral valve and then causes the breathing problems as the lungs aren't supplied with enough blood." Foreman finished as he stood beside House sipping his coffee. Only then joining the four of them in the differential.

House mulled over both the sandwich and the idea Chase presented. House nodded in approval, "go give him the treatment" he ordered whilst waving the little bunny toy in front of Etta-Amelia's face causing her bright, blue eyes to light up with joy and her arms to wave in excitement.

Cameron and Chase stood up and gathered their belongings before they leaving the Cafeteria whilst Foreman stood stationary observing the tiny excited infant, "didn't Chase buy her that ladybug outfit?" He gestured towards Etta's clothing.

"Yup."

Foreman grinned. The sentiment warming his heart like the warm coffee he gulped, and strolled across the cafeteria to leave.

"And you look _beautiful_, yes you do." House rambled to his daughter as she gurgled and cooed in her car seat.


	11. Chapter 11: Audience to his failure

Etta-Amelia screamed and cried in irritation. _How could so small a baby create this much fucking noise?_ The echoes crying bounced around the walls of his office as he tried to speak to Foreman over the phone.

"**Its there. You just have to look, damn it!**" House shouted down the phone as he settled his babies head against his chest and tried to soothe her by bobbing her up and down as he stood in the center of his office.

"We're in the OR looking at his heart now and there is no structural defect whatsoever, House. Just accept you were wrong!" Chase shouted back.

_They must have been operating now and had him on speaker phone in the OR, yet they weren't competent enough to find a structural defect. Did they even go to med school?_

"Then its a _small_ heart defect," House replied frustrated. Persevering desperately to comfort his daughter and stop her screaming, "_small_ enough that you can't see it with your eyes."

"**OH!** _Right,_ so its invisible." Chase replied sarcastically, "how do you imagine we find it then? _The force?"_

Etta-Amelia's screams continued down the phone and filled the OR with her cries. House was _really_ trying. But he didn't know what she wanted. She was fed, burped, napped and played with. He didn't understand. He began to sway her from side to side, always having her ear against her chest, hoping the sound of his heartbeat would comfort her.

"House, whats wrong with her?" Cameron asked softly in concern.

_Ever the empathetic one, never mind the man laying on the operating table with his chest wide open,_ House thought. This was becoming too much, he couldn't soothe his own daughter no matter what he did, and he felt himself well up. His eyes becoming more and more watery.

**"She's fine! Worry about the dying man! Find the defect now before I fire all of you!"** House yelled and hung up the phone abruptly, cutting himself off from his team in the OR who were desperate for his full attention. But his baby needed him more. House closed his eyes and breathed a small breath, trying to calm himself as he continued to sway her.

He sat down in his office chair and laid Etta across his lap to look at him, the stress of her cries and tears, causing his own eyes to glisten with tears of his own.

_"Please, just tell me what you want!" _House pleaded, almost like he was attempting to reason with his daughter to stop her from crying. But it was no use. She was still screaming and the hospital staff glanced and turned their heads to his office as they passed in the hallway.

He felt as though they were an audience witnessing his failure as a father as he briefly looked through the transparent walls of his office and felt their eyes scorch through him. _His failure was on show for everyone to see._

Among the crowd was Wilson who observed him with a judging empathy as his words ran through House's inner dialogue; _"Children need love and guidance. And if you can't provide that then you need to give her to someone who can."_

"_Please!_" House begged. "_I can't deal with this stress, baby._"

Suddenly a thought came to House...


	12. Chapter 12: We're gonna be okay

"Stress his heart and you'll find the defect." House's voice come over the OR intercom, accompanied by the screaming of Etta-Amelia's cries which had still neglected to stop.

Chase, Cameron and Foreman turned their attention towards the observation window of the operating room to see House's figure holding his infant and cane, clothed in a short sleeved white top which had been soaked with Etta's tears and baby formula.

"_How will we do that_?" Cameron questioned, frustrated by House's stubbornness. _This was obviously not a heart problem killing the patient, and House's exhaustion and stress of raising a child was driving his medical opinion._

"Inject adrenalin in his IV and get several bags of blood, he's going to need it. We are gonna blow up his heart; where his heart starts bleeding that's where the defect is. We've been looking at the _wrong_ valve. We kept the attention on his _mitral_ when we should have been looking at his _aorta_." House explained, still trying to soothe his child as his team become increasingly agitated by the cries that buzzed over the intercom.

"House, his aorta will rip open if your right! He could die right here!" Foreman reasoned, still looking up at the observation window.

"It will confirm if we're right. And better to do it here where we can repair his heart rather than it explode when he isn't in an operating room," Chase explained. Finally siding with House's argument.

Foreman and Cameron paused and looked at one another, the only noise in the room was from the crying over the intercom. Suddenly Foreman went to gather several units of blood and Cameron gathered a needle filled with adrenalin and handing it to Chase who injected the whole syringe into his IV.

Almost immediately the heart began to beat faster and faster, until the aorta ripped open causing blood to spill and squirt over the whole team and OR room. All three of them began to repair the heart hoping he wouldn't bleed to death in the 60 seconds it would cause him to die from hypovolmic shock. Chase focused on suturing the heart defect. The sound of Etta-Amelia's howling over the intercom drowning out from everyone ones mind, as they raced against time to save the patient.

"House, we got it. Its fixed." Chase smiled up at House, pleased with the end result of the case.

House used his cane to press the intercom button to speak through it, "Good. Pack his bags and discharge him after he's recovered."

And at that moment Etta-Amelia's crying seized. Almost like she was trying to tell them all along they were wrong. And there was complete silence within the observation room where House cradled his child in his arms as he looked down at her. Her eyes red and puffy from crying, but were still blue and bright identical to his.

"We're gonna be okay," House said to his daughter as she looked up at him. Giving him direct eye contact as he spoke to her. House breathed a breath of relief as his baby girl was silent, doing nothing but looking up at him.

It was at that moment that House felt _ready. _He knew he wouldn't screw this up.


	13. Chapter 13: The new seasons father look

**I really hope my story is keeping you guys engaged and thank you all for your lovely feedback so far :D Its really encouraging me to keep writing, please let me know if you hate my story too, I could really use some constructive criticism right now, and some kind of comment on what direction you want the story to go. I think it could use a dramatic event right about now ;)**

**And please let me know if my House sounds like the House we all know and love, I really want it too sound like an authentic character and plot line so I've added a smidgen of my vast medical knowledge but let me know if you want me to add more or tone it down. **

"Hello there."

"Greetings friend." House softly closed the door of Wilson's office behind him, "came by for a friendly _chit-chat_."

"Well the friendly '_chit-chat_' around the hospital is that you saved your patient," Wilson said leaning his elbows against his desk and clasping his hands as House took the seat opposite and placed Etta-Amelia's car seat on the desk. "And managed to get your little tyke to stop crying. You definitely came out on top today."

House smirked,"I'm _always_ on top, Wilson." House adjusted Etta's hat and coat for her comfort."Despite what Cuddy may reveal about our sex positions..."

Etta was exhausted from all the conundrums of the day and was now sleeping in her carrier seat and would probably sleep all the way through the night now. House had packed up all of their stuff and was prepared to take them both home.

Wilson, ignoring Houses explicit statement continued, "well at least all is good. How'd you get her to stop crying?"

House chuckled softly, "I solved the case. Well... Actually _she_ solved the case." He gestured towards the tiny tot sleeping soundly.

"Wow. Only three weeks old and already solving medical cases with daddy? You must be so very proud," Wilson praised. "Do your parents know about her?"

"I haven't spoken to them. _When do I ever talk to them, Wilson?_"

"True. But don't you think they should know that they have a first grandchild? And how the beautiful baby came about? But I guess it doesn't matter _too_ much, I'm sure they won't notice an extra addition to the family around the Houses thanksgiving table," Wilson shrugged in a joking manner.

"_With my mothers eyesight she might just pass unnoticed,_" House jibbed. "Where _does_ everybody else think she came from? I've heard some pretty ridiculous crap."

Wilson cleared his throat,"Well _I've heard_; You kidnapped her, You knocked up a prostitute and she left the baby on your doorstep because she figured it was the devils spawn, you were so lonely you got a surrogate to give birth to her."

House and Wilson sniggered softly, trying not to rudely disturb Etta.

"So, how are you feeling about it?" Wilson began, "about raising the whole baby thing I mean."

_Wilson, ever the curious type and sticking his nose in._

"Feel... good," House stated.

Wilson's jaw dropped in a form of mockery, " the mean old man is _happy_?"

"I think I said that I just felt good," House disparaged Wilsons notion. Rejecting his friends suggestion that he was 'happy'.

"Same difference. This father thing is starting to look good on you, House. Sure there's some stuff you still need to work out but I'm sure we'll all make it up as we go along," Wilson said hinting he approved of his friends abilities to take care of his child.

"well," House stood up and threw the strap of the baby bag across his shoulder, "I'm sure you and Cuddy will gossip and giggle about it tomorrow when you have lunch with her." House gently picked up the car seat containing his offspring and went to exit the door.

Wilson gave a quizzical look, "I do not gossip!"

"Pfftt, your like a teenage girl who's just seen Cindy kiss Johnny underneath the bleachers and you _just _gotta tell someone."

"Night, House."

"Night, Wilson."


	14. Chapter 14: New Jersey Winter

House was driving through New Jersey with Etta-Amelia in her car seat still sleeping soundly. It was February and the night air was still as glacial as it had been during the 1st of January, the day of his daughters birth. House switched the heater of the car on and turned up the volume of the radio up. Soft music danced around the inside of the car as House drove them back home just as rain began to gently beat on the windscreen.

The night sky was dark and the only light that guided them was the light that radiated from the street lamps, store lights and the headlights of cars. But the lack of light didn't stop House from spotting a tall, slender woman walking down the street.

Long, dark hair that she tucked underneath a thick winter coat that was as black as the darkness that overtook the New Jersey night. Her legs long and thin but strong, like that of the legs he had spent in between 9 months and 3 weeks ago. They were clothed in a pair a light jeans that contrasted her dark coat.

House, his interest peaked drove slowly past the woman walking on the side walk, to be able to achieve a proper view of her face. His car slugged through wet, watery snow on the road as it slowly passed the young woman.

No. _It wasn't her._

House continued his journey home.


	15. Chapter 15: Cuddy Care Centre

"Its really bad. Especially at night when I lay down. Its like a..." The large woman clicked repetitively as she foraged for an adjective in her mind.

"A burning?" House replied.

"Yeah. What can you get me?"

House looked down to the patient file, "a thesaurus?" He looked up to see the woman's face was not amused by this remark so he continued, "I take it you haven't mention this in any of your prenatal visits."

House gestured down to the woman's swollen stomach.

"I'm not pregnant," she said deprecatingly and placing a hand on her hip. "I've had 6 kids I know when I'm pregnant. My husband had a vasectomy _**and**_ we use condoms."

"Vasectomies can reverse themselves and condoms can break," House informed with undertones of mockery. _God if only she knew how easy the last one was to do._

"I'm_** not **_pregnant, this is what women are supposed to look like. We're not just _skin_ and _bone_," she said gesturing to herself, "we have_ flesh,_ we have _curves."_

"You have little people inside of you."

The patient huffed and went to exit the room, clearly annoyed.

"Alright, okay! You're not pregnant. I must have just been brainwashed by the media," House gave in, "and all those years of medical training."

"_**Damn right!"**_

"I'll get the nurse to draw some blood," House added. Packing up the patient file and stood up to exit the room.

"Blood? What for?"

House opened the door of the examination room, "well, the heart burn. We gotta make sure it's not... _Spreading...**"**_

Letting out a breath of relief House set the red patient file on the nurses station of the clinic and limped into Cuddy's office through the glass doors.

Cuddy was sitting contently in her office chair holding Etta-Amelia who was biting on a small, soft toy which was becoming more and more drenched in saliva. Her dark, brown tuft of hair being stroked endearingly by Cuddy as Etta meticulously observed the room.

"You are a_ whole_ month old today, Etta. _That's a lot!_"

Cuddy had probably been speaking to her the whole hour that House had left Etta within her care. He just hoped she hadn't been bitching about him the _entire_ time. A little was acceptable. Perhaps even warranted to some extent/

"Here's daddy, Etta. Say hello."

House strolled through the doors and went over to his baby's attention and picked her up from Cuddy's lap and smiled. "Has Cuddy been mean to you, baby?" House traduced,"its okay I understand. She's always mean to me..."

Cuddy rolled her eyes.

"House, you have some visitor's today. They just came in and are waiting in the lobby for you," Cuddy informed him and began organizing her paperwork.

House frowned, "who?"


	16. Chapter 16: Father to Father

Foreman, Cameron and Chase sat in the diagnostic office. Chase glanced through a trashy magazine with his feet resting on the fringe of glass table on top of a blue patient file, Foreman reading a medical journal and Cameron leisurely making a cup of coffee for everyone.

"Where's House and Etta?" Cameron inquired throwing the spoon in the sink with a clatter and passing Foreman a cup of coffee.

Foreman thanked Cameron and sipped the hot liquid, "it's 10 o'clock. I'd be afraid if they were in."

"Why? You _really, really_ wanna see him? Can't wait for him to come in?" Chase teased making Foreman chuckle.

Cameron rolled her eyes and passive-aggressively placed Chase's coffee on the table. "No, I just thought maybe we should worry a little."

"What for?" Foreman questioned. House didn't _seem_ like anything was wrong, Etta was a happy like baby and House had actually mellowed out since having her around. _God they only not in yet,_ Foreman thought. _Its not a big deal._

"Well... I saw his parents downstairs in the lobby when I finished my shift in the ER. Didn't know why they were here." Cameron explained.

"Oh, I don't know..._ Maybe_ because House just had their grandchild. _Just a theory." _Chase disparaged.

"Don't worry, Cameron. I'm sure that they'll come and coo over their first grandchild, talk about how the rest of the family is and then go back home," Foreman reassured Cameron, "nothing special."

"I dunno. I mean, we are talking about _Houses_ family. Nobody expected him to have a kid. Maybe they might fuss over her a little bit more than any regular grandchild," Chase stated.

Foreman chuckled, "yeah, maybe. But not that much more."

"Has House even_ told_ his parents?" Cameron questioned.

Chase nodded, "Wilson told me he was phoning them yesterday." Chase pointed at Foreman, "you know when you and me walked past the office and saw him then."

Foreman nodded, remembering that House had indeed been on the phone yesterday. It actually explained why his parents were here today.

* * *

"Aww," Blythe House cooed. "My first grandchild."

"And hopefully the last one," House added.

"Greg, she is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen," John House commented.

House smiled. _Well she is made of me_, he thought. _How could she not be?_

Blythe placed Etta back in her car seat as she gurgled.

"So any new babes on the scene?" John asked as Blythe gave him a quick tap on the forearm as a response.

House shook his head, "nope. Just the one," gesturing to the little Etta.

"Well, you might want to think of getting one soon. I mean... Your a certain age now. A parade of girls can't be amusing as it once was, Greg," John expressed.

"_Actually it is_." House said with an attempt to deflect a rather personal criticism. House expected this off his father and was hoping his mother would detect that he felt uncomfortable and distract her husband from picking apart their son. But instead she continued to fuss over Etta and drink her diet coke.

House fiddled with his Reuben sandwich and readjusted himself in the booth of the cafeteria that his family and himself were sitting in.

"I'm just saying you don't want her to think you just use women and leave. It couldn't make a good impression on your daughter, you gotta lead by example and think of her." John denigrated.

House comprehend that his father thought he was actually assisting. However his advice just hindered as it always had. "Thanks for the advice, dad." House said insincerely.

John nodded as a 'your welcome', apparently ignorant to Houses insincere politeness and turned his attention to Etta.

"Instead of her thinking _I_ just 'use' people and leave she can think it about her _mother. R_eally good advice." House said nodding with a tinge of sorrow.

To this Blythe took her son's hand within her's, "your going to make a great parent, Greg. I just know you will."


	17. Chapter 17: Daddy and Etta

House wrapped a soft towel around Etta and set her down on the fresh, white sheets of his bed. House smiled down at his little girl who was grunting and humming attempting to initiate conversation with him. House grasped a second towel and put it through his hair and rubbed it in quick movements as he gurgled and spoke to his daughter.

He threw the now wet, blue towel he had used to dry his hair across the room to land on the chair he kept in the corner of bedroom. He gathered the corners of the towel his daughter was wrapped in and began to dry her with them. She was 4 weeks old now and her skin was still soft as cotton, and her complexions had blue undertones that complimented her eyes.

House wondered whether she would have the same eye color as she did now. Blue eyes like his. 90% of all Caucasian newborns have blue eyes but as they get older their eyes begin to pigment. He hoped she would keep the same eye color, it was like his mark on her. That she would always be the baby of the House.

He knew as she got older her thick, dark eyelashes would make him melt. And he knew because of this she would get whatever she desired as soon as she batted them at him. House felt himself becoming more and more paternal, and although there was still a tinge of self doubt in his parenting abilities, he had got himself into a routine now that was devoted to her. He noticed he was becoming heightened to her needs and had an idea of what each cry meant making them bond a lot better each day.

He tightened the towel around his waist and limped over to the dresser and removed a clean diaper. _God knows if he didn't put a diaper on her now, she'd pee __everywhere._

_I swear she plans it,_ House thought as he lifted her up and quickly slipped the diaper underneath her. House was planning a day out for him and his little tyke. She needed some new stuff; clothes, formula, toys and she had began to get the ability to hold her head up now so it would only be so long before she would be crawling and pulling stuff down. Ergo it would be a good idea to baby-proof the apartment. But if he were to do that he'd need reinforcements...

House grabbed his cell from the night stand, still talking and making sounds to his captive audience lying on the bed.

_"Wilson!_ Fancy a day out?"


	18. Chapter 18: Rude awakenings

House spread across the entirety of his bed with his body intertwined in the covers beside Etta's cot that he kept protectively close to his side of the bed. She slept soundly. Surrounded by the watchful eyes of new teddy bears and blankets that adorned the cot that Wilson had dragged around with him through various department stores that day. _That's what Wilson was for, right?_

The phones ring was carried around the room, bringing House to suddenly jolt awake from his slumber as he quickly hastily up the receiver of the phone on the nightstand in an attempt to stop the noise from rudely awakening Etta.

House rolled his eyes.**"**_What?_**"** He whispered in a high pitched tone, expecting it to be his team. Annoyed by the inappropriately late call as he glanced at his alarm clock. _It was 1:47am, who calls at this time?_

There was a delayed answer before a young woman's voice answered, "Hello?...Is this Gregory House?"

House froze. Incapable of speaking for a moment, his body shocked whilst he watched Etta's chest rise and fall to her breathing pattern, still asleep.

"No, it's not." House put the receiver back down, pulled the phone cord from the wall and sat up right on his bed. Thankfully the ringing of the phone had not disturbed the baby as it was time to have a glass of scotch to calm his nerves. _He knew exactly who that was on the other end of the phone._

House stood up and tried to silently guide him self through the bedroom, but with the lack of light it was hard to maneuver himself around the cot.

**Bang! **

"Crap." House said.

If Etta wasn't awake she sure was now, her cries immediately respondent to House knocking his bad leg against the side of her cot. House turned to pick her up and soothe his baby he had awoken.

_Maybe there will be another time for a drink. _


	19. Chapter 19: Bad day, bad differential

House groaned as he entered the diagnostics office.

"Bad nights sleep?" Cameron asked.

Foreman and Chase looked up from the patients file and looked at House and Etta's matching tired eyes as they came through the glass door.

"She kept you up all night?"

House ignored Foremans question and threw his bag through the open door of his adjoining office for it to land on his swivel chair. The team sensed Houses unwillingness for small talk and continued with the patient file.

"Speaking of babies," Chase stated attempting to break the silence. "We have one here. Newborn having seizures."

"It could be epilepsy. Or some other kind of inherited condition," Cameron said. She watched House silently stand by the whiteboard and list the symptoms with a black board marker with Etta strapped to his chest in her baby carrier.

"No family history of epilepsy, stupid. Guess again."

The team sat silently at the table. It had been a long while since House had directly insulted them. Sure he had mocked them, that was just who he was but today was different. It was obvious that something wasn't right as House stared impatiently at the three of them.

"...Good guess," House mocked as the team sat dumbfounded. "_But no_."

Foreman worked up the courage to add to the differential, "the baby was only two hours old when she had her first seizure. And she is also febrile. Could be an infection."

House rolled his eyes in annoyance,"yes. Well done." House put the lid back on the board-marker and stood back from the whiteboard to reveal the two symptoms; reoccurring Seizures and fever. "Now if only you could tell me _what_ infection it is we'd all be a lot happier, so what is it?"

The team was silent. Afraid that if they said a stupid idea House would castrate them for it. The only person in the room who didn't feel uncomfortable was baby Etta as she chewed on Houses sky blue shirt, drenching it in saliva which apparently didn't bother House. The only thing that did bother him was his teams inability to give him good theorys.

"Err... Its too early to tell at this point." Chase said afraid that House would batter him any minute. He was only trying to break the suffocating tension that filled the room.

House stared at Chase as he looked everywhere but at House refusing to make eye contact with him. House was almost ashamed at Chases cowardliness sometimes.

"Cameron. Tell the class why Chase might be right." House said.

Cameron shuffled in her seat uncomfortably, "because she has no immune system. She could just have a simple cold which could be raising her core temp and causing her to overheat which causes the seizures."

"Yes," House agreed. His irritable mood still detected underneath his approval. "See if the parents are sick and whether the staff that were in the room are too. Whatever they have there's a strong possibility that the kid got it from 'em. Meanwhile give her broad spectrum antibiotics whilst we try to pinpoint who passed it on."

"But the parents aren't showing any symptoms of illness. And if they were they would say something. First time parents usually freak out over any minor thing, _their kid is having seizures." _Foreman said before being interrupted by House.

"There immune system is strong enough to fight infection off their kids immune system on the other hand isn't. Just because they aren't showing any outward symptoms doesn't mean they don't have any nasty bugs to shower their kid in. Now go and do what I say instead of arguing with me," House finished frustratedly as he turned to go into his office.


	20. Chapter 20: School girl crushes

"And we're in," Chase said as the empty vial filled with blood whilst the baby inside the incubator barely resisted the needle prick. The patient was obviously very ill. Cameron handed him another vial to fill with blood samples from the tiny patient as his worried parents looked on through the glass walls to see the procedure. Cameron in an attempt to reassure the patients parents gave them a small smile as they looked on.

"It must be horrible to see your baby in the NICU. Only holding him for two hours before something like this happens," Cameron said.

Chase tutted.

Cameron frowned, "what was that for?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "You. Empathy and kindness are literally dripping from your eyeballs," Chase gestured to Cameron to hand him another vial.

"I'm being sincere, Chase." Cameron said with offence as she passed him a third vial.

"That's the point your always so sincere. Its not a bad thing though." Chase clotted the bleeding from the harvest site of the baby boys arm, "I think that's enough samples now. Lets take these to the lab."

Chase and Cameron packed up the equipment and allowed the parents back inside the NICU room. After Cameron reassured the patients enervated parents and Chase had several nurses monitoring the babys vitals, they left the room through the sliding doors and began walking down the hospitals hallways.

"So why do you think House was so... Angry this morning?" Cameron asked.

Chase pulled a face,"umm...New baby and lack of sleep can do that. And House isn't the most mellow of people anyway so lack of sleep's gonna make him even worse than his miserable self."

Cameron huffed,"House isn't miserable."

"No, _he's as happy as the day is long._ Of course that's gonna be how you_ perceive_ him because you like him," Chase stated as he held the door of the blood lab open for Cameron to walk through. Almost everybody knew Cameron was hot for House and thus viewed everything he did as wonderful as she thought he was.

Cameron sat down on one of the lab stools as she watched Chase test the blood samples and absent-mindedly played with her wrist watch._ She wasn't going to help him if he was going to make fun of her._

"Wow. After all the times you've sucked up to House I would've thought you'd like him more." Cameron said.

Chase turned to look at Cameron who sat opposite him as he calibrated the centrifuge. "I do like House," Chase stated simply. House had the ability to grow on people like some kind of leech. He'd suck the life out of you sometimes but whether you noticed it or not he actually helped you more than he hindered you."_I Just don't like him in the same way you do obviously," _Chase winked.

Cameron smiled at Chases mocking and pushed a couple of strands of hair behind her ear. "Do you think we should tell Cuddy?"

Chase blinked in confusion. "Well I don't think Cuddy needs to know about your school girl crush," he joked.

"No we shouldn't tell Cuddy," Chase added on a serious note. "We'd just be telling her that House is having a bad day. Everyone has one of those every now and then, House included."


	21. Chapter 21: Not a Hameron ever after

Cameron entered Houses office and found it to be completely silent and the blinds drawn, allowing very little light in. House was napping on his lounge chair in the corner with his cane still firmly in his hand as he slept. Cameron crept across the room and turned the lamp on, hoping the light would disturb House from his sleep without her having to wake him herself. However House was still deep within his slumber so Cameron sat beside him, positioning herself on the footstool beside him and gently nudged him.

"House," she whispered. "House where's Etta?

House gently arouse from his slumber and blinked his eyes to adjust to the light change. He groaned internally in annoyance as Cameron placed her hand on his arm. He really didn't want to be woken up, let only be woken up by sempiternal kindness.

"Wilson is pushing her around on a crash cart," House yawned loudly. He stretched his arms and rubbed his bad leg as he propped himself up the lounge chair.

"Wilson? Crash cart? What?" Cameron questioned, hoping to clear her confusion. _Why was Wilson pushing Etta around on a crash cart?_

House pulled the string of the blinds and opened them to clear Cameron's discomposure, as Wilson walked past the window of Houses office pushing a crash cart with the figure of a small baby inside a baby basket. Camerons eyes followed Wilson as he waved to Cameron before disappearing down the hall. It was quite the comical scene.

"Why is he doing that?" Cameron questioned half laughing as House got up and walked to his desk, leaning heavily on his polished wooden cane.

House yawned again, "she didn't get a good nights sleep last night. Pushing her around is the only way to get her asleep and seems as I only have one good leg and Wilson has_ two_, I gave him the duty of getting her to sleep." House began shuffling through papers on his desk as Cameron rose to her feet.

"The blood samples were tested and nothing showed up." Cameron informed. "Chase is going to be do more testing and Foreman is back in the kids room watching his vitals."

House nodded without looking up from papers he was closely analysing, "means you have some free time then."

Cameron put her hands on her slender hips and smiled, "yeah I do. I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Nope, you can't." House said.

Ignoring this Cameron continued, "is everything going okay? Your a single parent now, you must be pretty stressed. It was definitely showing in this mornings differential."

House looked up from his papers and looked at Cameron firmly, _"life is a breeze._ Haven't you got something to do?"

Cameron frowned, "not according to you. Is there something you want to talk about?"

_"Actually_ _I'm trying to avoid talking_," House said. "Makes me feel all icky," he shrugged sarcastically.

Cameron sighed, "please stop deflecting."

"_Please stop projecting,_" House replied. He could tell there was something that she wanted to talk about but was frustrated she couldn't, so by accusing him of being evasive would somehow make her feel okay about it. Usually House would chase her up about this and force the truth out of her, but he was far too tired for mind games.

"Your just trying to avoid speaking to me because you have feelings for me. Its childish and unnecessary and if you want-"

House stopped her sentence in its tracks and interrupted,"You know what I want?" He said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Cameron stood still in the middle of the office and made eye contact with House as he leaned against his desk. _Maybe this would be the romantic moment that he would open up to her?_

"I want to sleep," House whined. "I wanna take a shower," he said gesturing to his dribble stained shirt. "I want to have a drink of scotch and watch TV all whilst my baby is asleep because when she wakes up I have to do this all over _again_."

Camerons heart was warmed by Houses whine. It was funny and sweet, even if it wasn't the great confession of love she wanted.

"House," Foreman said swiftly opening the door to the diagnostics office. "There's something wrong with the patient..."


	22. Chapter 22:It didn't matter who did what

House, Cameron and Foreman entered the patients room who had been transferred to the isolation room. They swiftly moved through the automatic sliding doors as the noise of gut wrenching cries hit them. The small patient was still inside the incubator gasping for breath as the patients parents screamed and panicked.

_**"What's happening to my baby boy?"**_ The distraught mother cried in desperation for answers as Chase pulled the woman and her emotional husband from the isolation room and into the hallway.

**_"Get them outta here!"_** Foreman shouted as he, Cameron and House darted to the side of the baby.

House grabbed a nearby stethoscope with the handle of his cane and placed the cold metal of the stethoscope on the baby's chest as Foreman and Cameron performed CPR. "Pneumothorax._ His right lung has collapsed_," House said as he listened intently to the patients crackling lungs.

Cameron rushed to the equipment tray and removed a syringe as alarms from the babys vitals machine ringed in her ears. She threw the syringe to Chase who passed it too House. House stabbed the syringe into the 3rd clovical line of the baby boys small, delicate rib and inflated his lung as Foreman drained clear, watery fluid from a second harvest site.

The ringing of the vitals machine stopped as the patients lung inflated and the four of them breathed a sigh of relief. Chase wiped his brow and gave the parents a thumb up through the clear, glass walls. Cameron looked more closely at the clear fluid that Foreman had drained with a rubber tube and caught with a white cloth that he held in his large, dark hands.

"Pneumonia? Why would a newborn get pneumonia that causes his lung to crush and collapse?" Cameron questioned as everyone's attention was directed to the fluid that was extracted from the babys lungs.

Foreman looked to House for an answer, but was answered with nothing but silence.

"Nevermind that," Chase said. "His lymph nodes in his face have swollen up..."

* * *

"What causes swollen lymph nodes, seizures, fever and pnemounia that progresses so fast it causes the lung to collapse?" House said probing his team.

The babys parents looked on into the isolation room curiously as the four doctors stood in the middle of the soft blue room of the patients, who was resting silently in his incubator too weak to move. Cameron moved to the babys bedside and increased his oxygen.

"Meningococcus meningitis progresses quickly," Chase stated.

"Except for the fact he has no petechial rash on his body," House snapped.

"The pnemothorax could of just been idiopathic." Cameron said readjusting her stethoscope and placed it around the back of her neck.

"Mumps?" Foreman asked as the three of them got more desperate for ideas to contribute.

House hit the metal leg of a nearby table with his cane which caused his employee's to jump as Houses anger reared its ugly head again. _**"No! We know its something he was exposed to at birth, but what?"**_House shouted. He looked to Cameron who looked both ashamed and embarrassed as House screamed at them whilst the parents of the baby who was hooked up to tubes and IV's peered on through the glass.

House pulled the string of the blinds abruptly and apathetically to block Camerons view of the parents. "Stop looking at the parents," House commanded. "You aren't going to get the answer from them."

Suddenly it hit House._ It was something he had been exposed to during birth._

House walked out the isolation room, leaning heavily on his cane and filtering the pain from his mind. He trudged to the parents and loomed over them, "which one of you cheated recently?"

The middle aged couple looked at House in shock with the glistening of dry tears reflecting from both of their faces.

_"What?_" The man questioned, obviously outraged by Houses lack of sensitivity. Chase, Cameron and Foreman all came out from the patients room and gaped at the scene that was occurring in the hallway.

"You," House began as he pointed to the woman "have genital herpes. There's only a 0.01 percent chance of passing on the herpes virus neonatally, but you _are_ the 0.01 percent."

The couple gaped at House and then the woman ran a hand through her frizzy hair and cupped her weary face. House could tell she was becoming more and more emotional by the second. House then turned his attention to her less than faithful partner, "It was you. Wasn't it?"

The man stood gawping at House who returned his look with an intimidating stare. "I'm sorry," the man whispered. House had broken him into confession.

"Will our baby be okay?" The man questioned with a look of pitiful guilt and hope.

House looked at the woman who still had her face so deep in her hands that they were beginning to turn red. House felt his heart strings being_ pulled_ softly at the sight of the couple. The hapless woman had not been away from her babys bedside since his birth and was obviously overwrought from exhaustion, worry for her child and the news of her husbands unfaithfulness. He even felt sorry for the husband._ How was he supposed to foresee this happening? It was apparent he never wanted to hurt anyone._

_"_No. He won't." House stated,"you only have a couple more hours with your son. I'm sorry."

The couple began to sob loudly in each others arms. House watched them try to soothe each other as they both wrapped each others arms around their spouse. _It didn't matter who did what,_ House thought. _Whatever sinful act was committed couldn't compare to the gut wrenching sorrow they both felt at the news of their sons impending death._

House honestly felt for both of them. Cameron, Chase and Foreman felt for them.

Knowing their was nothing any of them could do, House returned to his office.


	23. Chapter 23: Something we both need

Cuddy began to pack her bag as a typical New Jersey winter scene played on through the window behind her. She placed filed and organized papers from her inbox into her leather work bag to take home with her and slipped her matching leather gloves on her hands. Cuddy stood from her chair in preparation to leave but was interrupted by the opening of her office door.

"I am not going to reduce your clinic hours, House._ I don't care what excuse you give,_" Cuddy joked. She peered up to see House was also ready to retire for the night and go home with his baby asleep and tucked up warmly, content and safe in her fathers arms. But observing Houses expression she knew their was something of a serious note that was on Houses mind.

"I'm not here about clinic hours." House said languidly as he closed the door behind him with the tip of his cane. The car seat he was holding in the crook of his arm swinging delicately in motion to House silently shutting the door.

Cuddy felt the weakness in Houses tone. "House, whats wrong?" Cuddy asked as her brow frowned in concern._ House would of passionately fought her on clinic hours at the mere mention of the word 'clinic'_. But all the motivation and avidity had left his voice as he sat himself gently down on the cushion of the couch that situated itself left of the office entrance whilst cradling his daughter.

"I quit." House said his expression unchanging as he looked down on Etta's peaceful face. He pulled his attention away from Etta momentarily to witness Cuddys expression of surprise. "Well... Not quit_ per say_. Paternity leave. Effective tomorrow," House said.

"Oh," Cuddy replied as she perched herself on the side of her desk. _She must admit that she was taken aback by all this._

"I'm leaving Foreman in charge for now," House continued. He brushed strands of Etta's hair softly away from her face and tucked them under her winter hat as he planted himself deeper on Cuddys couch. "I have somethings that I need to work out for us and I know I can't work that out whilst I'm still here."

Cuddy nodded understandingly,"how long do you think this _leave_ will last?"

House looked at Cuddy who was still perched patiently on her desk in her thick, black coat and red scarf. He paused in thought,"I don't know."

Cuddy observed Houses chiseled face and blue eyes trying to deduce whether he was being truthful or was just pulling her leg. _This was just so unlike House. _"Okay."Cuddy agreed, "if this is what you both need."

House nodded. "Thank you, we do." House placed the sleeping baby in her car seat he had set on the coffee table ready for the journey home and exited the office.

Cuddy watched him disappear as he turned a corner in the clinic to leave the building. She placed a soft hand on her face, _what was they going to do without House?_


	24. Chapter 24: What now?

Chase, Foreman and Cameron gathered around the differential table sipping hot chocolate they all bought downstairs. Foreman sat at the head of the table and released his pre-prepared appetizing pasta with tomato and basil sauce from its clear plastic container. Chase with his back to the limpid walls of the diagnostics office plumped himself on a chair as he pulled the metal zipper on his rucksack to reveal a warm wrap from the contents of his bag whilst Cameron feasted on a simple feta-cheese salad with a chocolate bar as a desert.

The hospital was experiencing a slow, February day today. Small glimpses were caught of hospital staff conducting their business as they walked around the near deserted hallways of the hospital, even the ER which was usually bustling with patients and cases of domestic accidents, was also completely docile.

"Must be the snow," Chase commented as Foreman and Cameron discussed the dormant activities of the hospital. "Look how thick it is."

"Usually that would increase the incidence of accidents." Foreman said, taking a large bite of pasta from his plastic spork.

Cameron shook her head in disagreement and thoughtfully chewed her food,"Its not that thick, the roads are still clear and its safe to drive on."

Chase frowned in confusion, "It's almost 1:30. Where is House?" He looked around the office and peered into Houses office from the edge of his seat.

"It might of been too cold for Etta to come out. Maybe he took a day off," Cameron replied.

Foreman shook his head. "No. He would of called, wouldn't he?"

Chase shoffed, "its House we're talking about. He's refused to come into work before because of a power play with Cuddy. I doubt he'd call us if he wasn't coming into work."

Foreman and Cameron looked at one another. Something didn't_ feel_ quite right. Cameron delicately wiped her mouth with a clean napkin and raised from her chair to enter Houses office. Chase and Foreman remained where they were with Chase finishing off his wrap and scrunching its wrapper in his hand. Foreman neglected to finish his food.

"Your probably right," Foreman said to Chase. "House wasn't in the best of moods yesterday. _Wouldn't surprise me if House and Cuddy got into one._" Chase raised his cup of hot chocolate in agreement and put it against his lips to blow it cold.

Cameron re-entered the room clutching a small yellow stick-it note.

"Anything?" Foreman questioned as he and Chase looked in Camerons direction who now stood beside the whiteboard.

"Yeah," Cameron answered and began to read off the small square aloud. "I've gone on leave and Foreman is in charge_ (as its equal rights nowadays) _won't be gone long._ Back in 182 days._"

"That bastard!" Chase squeaked, "_what are we gonna do?"_

All three of them took on a paler complexion as they gazed at each other queasily.

Chase knew that although all of them were better than average doctors, they were not ready to leave the nest. House was always there when they needed him and now Chase felt like they had all been ditched. Chase felt feelings of abandonment leak into the forefront of his mind, something he had not felt since he was a child. _Foreman was obviously going to seize any chance at power he got and Chase had the foresight to know this wasn't going to be the best thing to ever happen to the diagnostics office. _

Camerons expression turned to one of confusion to one of guilt. _Why had she told House that he had 'feelings' for her yesterday? _Cameron thought.House wasn't stupid. He knew she was really projecting and that she was the one with the feelings._ Why had she been so selfish? House was obviously swamped with work and his baby, why would she dump her veiled confession on him then? _Cameron couldn't help but think she was the reason he had left so abruptly.

Foreman huffed at the unexpected news._ Why hadn't House told him about this? Why was he always so irresponsible? _Foreman knew if they were going to get through this he would have to take charge.

Cuddy suddenly opened the transparent diagnostics door and was greeted by panicked questions and inquiries.

"Did you know?" Cameron asked.

"Know what?" Cuddy replied.

Chase sighed, "that House has left. Is it permanent?"

Cuddy clasped her hands together, "House has gone on paternity leave. I don't know when he'll be back, but he came to me last night and informed me that he had to work somethings out for his daughter." Cuddy tried to reassure Chase and Cameron but with no prevail.

"What does he have to work out? Everything was fine!" Chase said. "He always brought Etta to work and its not like he sees his patients."

Cuddy tried speaking in soothing tones, "a hospital is not a suitable place for a baby to be. You guys are just going to have to figure things out without him, in the meantime Foreman is in charge." Cuddy nodded to Foreman who nodded back.

Cuddy turned to leave from where she entered, "and no contacting him!" Cuddy warned. "You come to me instead of calling him, you hear?"

Chase, Foreman and Cameron went into a state of dismissive silence as Cuddy exited and sauntered down the hall.

_What now?_ They all thought.


	25. Chapter 25: Time to call

Wilson reviewed patient files with focused scrutiny. His radiator warming his office to a toasty temperature, a nice contrast to the snow that lightly brushed against his balcony door. The only sound in his office was the gentle blowing of wind outside and the scratching of his pen on paper.

Wilson gently brushed his finely groomed and trimmed, blonde hair with his fingers and peered at his watch. Wilson thought that he would soon considerately call his patients and follow up with them by phone. He knew that his concern and kindness would be appreciated as he figured most of his patients would be tucked up indoors away and isolated from the cold.

From his experience with patients he knew that some felt particularly vulnerable when they were lonesome, as it was the one time that they could contemplate the reality of their illnesses. True some of his patients took a cancer diagnosis within their stride,_ "I've had a good run and a good family"_ Wilson remembered one of his patients, Mr. Ewell saying. But a caring and listening ear was something every one needed even if everything was swell, and it was something he could provide very well.

_I'll give it another hour,_ Wilson thought to himself as he continued his work.

The door of Wilsons office opened which pulled Wilsons attention.

_"I need to talk to you."_ Cuddy said as she occupied the chair opposite Wilson. She brushed her dark hair to the side, "have you spoken to House?"

Wilson raised a thick eyebrow,"why what has he done now?"

Cuddy sighed, "I wish it was something he'd done." Cuddy sat deep within the chair she had plumped herself in. "Did he mention anything about paternity leave to you?"

Wilson frowned. _House hadn't said anything to him about it. _"Paternity leave? You sure he's not jerking you around?"

Cuddy shrugged her shoulders. "That's not even the issue. The diagnostics department has been completely rocked. I don't think Foreman can handle it if I'm honest," Cuddy began. "They were like ducklings without a mother goose to follow. Its like they couldn't even function."

Wilson placed his pen on the desk and paused thoughtfully, "well House has a less metaphorical duckling to take care of. And Foreman will be fine," Wilson added.

"You didn't see them, Wilson. _They were acting like it was the end of the world._" Cuddy flicked through the messages of her phone,"do you think you could be my eyes and ears? Just keep an eye on them?"

_Wilson knew he was going to regret this. _Wilson smiled, "sure whatever you need."

Cuddy friendly kissed his check in thanks as she stood up from her chair, "thank you. I owe you." Cuddy darted out of Wilsons office to some hospital emergency meeting or whatever it was she had to do, leaving Wilson sitting in his office.

Wilson picked up the reciever of his phone and dialed._ It was time to call House. _


	26. Chapter 26: Spying and hospital business

"Whats the symptoms?" Foreman questioned.

"Opisthotonus. The patient just completely arched his back, legs and arms according to his boyfriend and co-worker." Cameron informed whilst flicking through the thin, lined pages of the patients file. Foreman put his plastic container in the sink and rejoined the table.

_"Could be drug use,_" Chase suggested leaning back on the legs of his chair. "Haloperidol or lithium." Chase threw his wrapper across the room to land in the waste bin perfectly. He groaned loudly and stretched his arms.

"Hes not been referred to any psychologists or psychiatrists and prescribed any medication-" Cameron said before being cut off by Foreman.

"He could be using them illegally." Foreman stated, "go and ask the boyfriend and do a drug test for lithium and haloperidol."

Chase looked at Cameron and rolled his eyes. _He knew Foreman would grasp power over the both of them with two hands. _

Chase and Cameron gathered there white lab coats and left the diagnostics office to run tests as Foreman picked up the small square of paper. "_182 days_", Foreman read. _That was about 6 months. Will House really be away for that long?_

* * *

Chase and Cameron cheerily entered the patients hospital room. The patient had two visitors and were smiling and chuckling around the beside of there friend.

"Hey," Cameron greeted as she closed the transparent door behind her and Chase. "We're here to get a blood sample."

"We also need to ask you a few questions if that's alright. So if we could get everyone out of the room," Chase said as Cameron put on her latex gloves.

One of the patients visitors stood up from her chair, "well I need to go anyway." She said as she swung her bag strap across her shoulder, "I'll swing by later though." The attractive red-headed woman lightly pecked both men on the cheek and sauntered out of the room. "Please look after my friend," she added to Chase and Cameron before she re-closed the door of the patients room and left.

The patient held the strong hand of the man who sat adjacent to him, "well surely you can't ask me anything that I wouldn't be comfortable sharing with my partner." The patient turned his green eyes to look at his partners brown.

"Well its always better to ask questions when family members aren't in the room." Chase replied, "just to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable. I hope you can understand."

The patient nodded pleasantly and understandingly, "I understand." He turned to his partner and squeezed his hand firmly, "why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get yourself something?" His partner smiled and left for the cafeteria leaving Chase, Cameron and the patient in the room alone.

Cameron lifted the short sleeve of the patients hospital gown and used a sterile cotton ball to cleanse the patients clear skin, "your going to feel a slight prick. But it won't hurt too much," Cameron reassured. The patient tensed slightly as the needle went in but relaxed as the blood oozed into the vial that Cameron had attached to the needle.

Chase sat on a small, metal swivel stool beside the patients bed. "So what happened when you got sick?"

The patient cleared his throat, "well I've been a bit under the weather lately but nothing major. It wasn't until I was at work that I started to bend it like beckham," the patient joked. Both Cameron and Chase snickered at the patients humor.

"What do you mean by 'under the weather'? Fever, cough, sore throat?" Cameron inquired as she continued to fill up the vial with blood.

"Pretty much. Just figured it was a cold."

Chase put the back of his hand on the patients forehead, brushing away the dark brown hair that covered it. _"You do feel a bit warm,"_ Chase commented. "Anybody else sick at work?"

The patient coughed, "I travel for work so I'm not in the office a whole lot. Although my partner and the woman you saw, we all work together so maybe you could ask them?"

Cameron smiled, "how long have you been with your partner?" Cameron passed the two blood vials that she had filled over to Chase to hold as she filled a third.

"Oh, Will? I've been with him for about seven years now." The patient grinned, "we met at work and been together ever since."

"Where do you both work?" Chase asked as he placed him self back into his stool.

"We work for a pharmaceutical company. He's a chemist and I am just a rep," the patient replied. "Do you think my work could have anything to do with me being sick?"

"Well do you ever dip into the stash?" Chase questioned, "Lithium and haloperidol use could explain your symptoms."

The patient shuffled in his bed, "I don't steal from work but I do see a psychiatrist. He prescribed me Lithium but I don't want Will to know I'm depressed. He doesn't need to worry," the patient explained.

"Oh no, dont worry." Chase reassured the patient,"we aren't going to tell him anything. How long have you been depressed?"

"I've always been depressed. I never really cared about anyone or anything and instead I focused on my work, as all of my previous relationships had failed because of my condition. But then I met Will and you know," he nodded to Cameron and Chase. "Will made me happy. And I didn't want him to suffer because of me, so I chose to seek help. He loves me so much and_ I don't think its fair for him to worry about me._"

Cameron removed the needle from the patients muscular arm and cleaned the harvest site. "Well he's your partner," Cameron explained as she collected her samples and removed her latex gloves.

"He's going to worry," Chase said finishing Camerons point. "Even when your not sick he's going to worry about you."

The patient smiled at Chase and Camerons concern, "so if I stop taking the Lithium I'll be okay?"

Cameron raised from her stool and threw her gloves in the hazardous waste bin she now stood next too. "Yes you'll be fine," Cameron declared. "We'll keep you overnight for observation and then we'll be able to discharge you."

The patient looked to Chase who smiled encouragingly at him. The young mans partner now entered the room with two warm meals. "Bad time?" He inquired. The patient sat up in his bed and patted the seat next to him to invite his partner to join him.

"Thank you doctors," the patient said appreciatively. "You were both a big help."

* * *

Wilson tapped on Houses green, wooden door as he patiently waited outside in the apartment complex hallway. He had drove all the way here when House had neglected to answer his calls. He had been standing outside his friends door for ten minutes now and House was either out or was also ignoring him knocking on his door.

Wilson decided to loosen the top button of his black, mid thigh length coat and sat his back against Houses door. _He was going to stay here until he knew his friend was okay._


	27. Chapter 27: Gone to hell

Cuddy glanced down at the text that had lit up her cell as she tried sheepishly to hide her cell deep in the pit of her lap underneath the table. Cuddy inwardly huffed in concern as she read the text she had received. She felt helpless as she knew she could not remove herself to Wilsons aid as she was currently in a committee meeting with tens of doctors and lawyers relying on her to be there.

_Cuddy, House isn't answering his cell and isn't answering the door either -Wilson. _The text read.

Cuddy slipped the phone in her leather bag that occupied the space beneath her chair.

"Doctor Cuddy, what is your opinion on this matter?"

Cuddy's face shot up to look at who addressed her. "This issue would barely impact the hospitals monthly budget and if there is a chance that it could benefit the patients in neurosurgery than I say we do it-"

_-Brrr- _The sound of Cuddys cell vibrating against the material of her bag loudly enough for everyones concentration in the room to break.

Cuddy continued despite the off-putting distraction, "I'll be glad to risk the lawsuits as long as this is in our patients best interests."

_-Brr Brr-_ there it was again. Cuddy gave up and rummaged in her bag for her cell, and looked at the large supply of messages she had been sent."I apologize but this is an emergency," Cuddy said to the collective mass in the meeting room. "I am leaving the related budget-spread sheets, however I hope I can pick this up at our next meeting next week."

"Of course. I'll fill you in afterwards, Doctor Cuddy." Standford Wells, the head of the hospital, said.

Cuddy apologized again as she gathered her things and exited the meeting room. She stood in the center of the hallway and addressed her attention to her cell screen. She wrapped her cream colored cardigan around her torso tightly and read-

_The patient is in a critical condition an we have no ideas as to what. We need House -Foreman_

Cuddy sighed. _House had been gone for one day and everything had already gone to hell, go figure._ Cuddy brushed her hair away from her face and placed her coat on the crook of her arm along with her coat to make her way up to the diagnostics office.

_You'd think everything would run better without Houses crap but apparently not,_ Cuddy thought.


	28. Chapter 28: Bitching and Banana bread

House leaned on the handle bars of the baby buggy heavily as he pushed it down the frosty sidewalk, the plastic rain cover of the buggy protecting his baby from the winter chillness. The snow had now settled and it crunched under the the pressure of the pram wheels and Houses feet as they progressed down the sidewalk of the block to Houses apartment.

House had enjoyed the freedom of his first day of paternity leave. There was no stress and all he had to worry about was Etta and himself, and it was from this absence of work stress that he was able to notice how lively and sociable Etta had become with age. He had noticed that she had the ability to stay awake for longer periods of time which allowed him to spend more quality time with his daughter. Today he had taken her out to the local bakery, he knew that at one month old she would love being stimulated by the smell of freshly baked bread.

House pushed the pram up the three steps that adorned the entrance of the apartment complex only to see Wilson sat against his front door.

_"What are you doing here?"_ House asked in surprise.

Wilson stood up using his right hand to push against the door to support him as he rose from the floor, "_where have you been?_ I've called, I've knocked" Wilson explained. "I was worried."

House sighed. _This was so like Wilson, just expecting the worst. _"I. was. at. the. bakery," House said literally spelling out each word for Wilson as he raised the paper bag of banana bread he had hooked on the bar of the pram. "Why didn't you go in?"

Wilson rolled his eyes in annoyance, _"because you weren't in!"_

House reached to the top of his door frame and revealed a key only to unlock his front door with it and swing the door open. "Can we stop bickering in the hallway and go inside, please dear?"

Wilson entered the living room and sat on the couch as House reversed the baby buggy in after him. He placed the brown, paper bag of bread on the coffee table and removed his cane from the bar of the pram. He unfastened Etta from the confides of the pram and held her upright against his chest with his left arm and stabled himself with his polished, wooden cane in his right hand.

Wilson undressed his coat as he began to update House on the happenings of the hospital. "Cuddy tried calling, your team needs you-"

"-Don't wanna know," House said cutting Wilson off as he occupied the place on the couch next to Wilson. House really didn't want to know about work. _The whole point of taking time off from work was to stay away from it._

"But they **_really_** need you at the hospital," Wilson explained. The concern and urgency evident in his tone.

House shook his head, "no they don't. The team will be fine." House began to discard Etta's outdoor clothing for her comfort, until she was in her white baby-grow happily on Houses left knee.

Wilson witnessed the tenderness of Houses actions as he gently stroked Ettas red cheeks, a softness that Wilson had never seen from House. He watched Etta as her blue eyes_ (inherited from her father)_ surveyed the room and sucked lightly on her blue pacifier. Etta and House were genuinely happy in each-others company. _No wonder he doesn't want to hear about work,_ Wilson thought. _He just wanted to be with his family._

"Your probably right," Wilson said. Realizing that everyone _(himself included)_ had just over reacted, and it would take time for them all to adjust to Houses absence. "Cuddy thinks they'll be okay."

"Good," House replied. _"But just in case I turned my cell off,_" House explained as he picked his cell up off the coffee table and presented it to Wilson.

Wilson chuckled as he took Houses lifeless cell in his hands._ That was really mean,_ Wilson smiled to himself._ But how else were they all to learn to stand on their own two feet?_


	29. Chapter 29: Daddys ducklings

**I just wanted to thank all of you guys following and/or favoring this story (limptulip, Bakerstreet blues, VictoriaCP2, HOUSEocdFan and hughsouldinGregsmind) and all the people sending me messages to encourage me to continue this story. (I'm sensing story is gonna be a long project). I in particular wanted to thank OldSFfan for all of her messages and reviews that I am very thankful for and all of her wonderfully written stories, past, present and future. Thank you guys!**

* * *

Cuddy stood beside the whiteboard tapping it with the black tip of the whiteboard marker whilst Foreman, Cameron and Chase sat in silent thoughtfulness. Foreman flicked through a medical encyclopedia, underlining and marking potential diseases whilst Chase buried his face in his arms which rested on the glass table, desperately attempting to scavenge his subconsciousness for ideas and theories.

"It has hit his brain._ We know_ its an infection. But not a common one," Cameron stated as she paced the floor of the diagnostic office.

Chase sighed loudly in frustration without moving his face from the cradle of his arms, _"You can keep reciting the symptoms but it doesn't help."_

"Stop it guys," Foreman warned. _They weren't going to get a diagnosis by grappling at each others throats. _

Cuddy stopped tapping on the whiteboard and instead began fiddling with the marker lid, "what does he work as again? Did he tell you?"

"He works at a pharmaceutical firm, but nobody's sick. _No lead there,_" Foreman explained without drawing his attention away from the thick encyclopedia.

"Could it be genetic?" Cuddy questioned as she pulled a chair out from the table and occupied it.

Cameron momentarily paused her pacing, "some kind of genetic immunity-compromising disease, perhaps?"

Foreman closed the encyclopedia in front of him. "No," he said as he rubbed his tired face. "If it was he'd be getting sick from every common bug. And genetic testing takes weeks to complete anyway, even if it was he'd be dead before we can cure him."

The diagnostics office had a thick atmosphere of fatigue and over-exhaustion. Each of them secretly harboring a small desire for House to walk into the office, call them 'idiots' and cure the patient with an elaborate diagnosis. But this was how life was going to be from now on _(that or the diagnostics office was going to close down). _

"Did you guys check his home for toxins? It would obviously have to be fat-soluble for him to be getting sicker," Cuddy said to the group as she grappled for a theory.

Cameron threw her arms in the air in a demonstration of self-defeat, "we should call House._ This patient is going to die!" _

_"Nobody is calling House! From now on we do this by ourselves,"_ Cuddy replied in a tone matching Camerons vexed, weary tone.

Suddenly Chases blonde head shot up from its resting position on the solid glass table, "There was no point in searching the home because the guy hadn't _been home,_ he had been away on business." Chase's drowsiness and sleepiness became undetectable as he rose from his chair, "his first symptom arose when he went to work to pick up his partner. He'd been to Phoenix and everyone knows new American citizens who have moved from Mexico usually immigrate to phoenix. _Cerebral malaria is prevalent in Mexico. He must of picked it up."_

"Go and give him treatment," Cuddy ordered making the team dart out of the door.

Cuddy slouched back in her chair and breathed a satisfying sigh of relief, allowing her chest to fully inflate and deflate and she smiled. The tension and frustration that had built in the diagnostics office since the patients vitals had become critical had broken.

_The ducklings will be okay,_ Cuddy thought. _We'll be okay._


	30. Chapter 30: Baby baths

It was nearly bedtime for Etta and House gently splashed lukewarm water on Etta's exposed torso with the tips of his fingers, making her mumble and coo as each drop landed on her. House grinned as his daughter splashed her arms in happiness in the bath with him. He had read that bathing with your child is a great bonding experience_ (well actually Cuddy told him that but he wasn't going to admit that he had actually taken her advice, that would be absurd) _but he had always been too tired after work and never had the time. During the time he had been bringing Etta to work with him he had felt neglectful of his daughter. He just watered, fed and changed her but now everything was going to change.

House massaged the Babys Johnsons bath wash into Etta's soft, pale skin and gently rinsed it off. _She really loves bath time,_ House thought._ I swear kids are meant to be oppositioned to being clean, right? _House thought back to his youth to memories of rock climbing and crawling through dirt as a child only for his mother to give him a deep cleanse in the bath afterwards. He never liked them, but apparently Etta did. She was having the time of her life! She screamed and cooed and splashed.

House grabbed his cane that he rested beside the bathtub and placed a towel on the tip of it to mop up the puddles of water on the tiled floor. After Etta had began to attempt to drink the bath water, House decided that it was probably time to leave the rapidly cooling bath and get Etta settled for bed. House removed Etta from sitting on his left thigh and placed her in her baby bath seat as he exited the bath tub. He grabbed a large towel and quickly wrapped it around his waist.

"And up we go," House whispered as he lifted Etta from the water and wrapped her in a towel he had left to warm on the radiator. "Nice and warm," House said to his daughter. He began to speak nonsensically to Etta as he dried her with the soft,clean towel against his chest. She mumbled sounds and noises in response to her father that bounced around the walls of the bathroom until a faint knock was heard at the door.

House limped his way through his apartment to the front door, leaving a trail of water drops on the floorboards with his daughter still in his arms making indiscriminate sounds as he swung the door open.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you."

_"Soothing voice,"_ House replied. "Its almost bedtime," he said softly as he invited the woman in and closed the door behind her.

Cameron removed her gloves, allowing the warmth of the apartment to warm her hands from the winter chill. The apartment smelt of coziness and homeliness that made even Cameron want to melt into a deep sleep.

"Just got out of the bath?" Cameron said in reference to the matching white towels that Etta and House were wrapped in. Etta's thick, dark hair sticking in every which direction as she explored her fathers stubble with her hand which made Camerons heart glow.

"Yeah. Just going to dry and change her quickly._ BRB,_" House said as he tightened his towel and limped to his bedroom.

Cameron slipped her gloves into her grey,coat pocket as she glanced around the apartment. The glow of the fire casting shadows around the living room as she carefully inspected the artworks and piano. She bumped the back of her calf against something low as she turned around she discovered it was the soft, baby proofed edge of the coffee table.

"Careful. I'll sue," House teased as he re-entered the living room only to disappear into the kitchen to retrieve Etta's tepid bedtime bottle.

Cameron plonked herself onto the end of the couch as House came in carrying his infant who was now sucking lightly on her bottle in her fathers cradling arms. Her body clothed in an orange and blue stripey pajama set, her eyes becoming heavier and heavier as House sat down in his lounge chair still in his white towel.

"So," Cameron whispered.

House was currently looking down on his baby girl suckling on her bottle and had neglected to acknowledge Cameron as of yet.

"We solved the case," Cameron whispered as she noted Etta was drifting into a slow sleep. Her eyes still flickering open momentarily to look at her fathers face who was holding her bottle to her mouth as she continued feeding.

_"Knew you would."_ House replied in a gentle tone.

Camerons face scrupled, "you did? Even we didn't know if we'd solve it."

"_My little ducklings are all but flying the nest._ Well... Apart from this one," House said gesturing down to his infant with a small hint of humor.

"We are really going to miss you._ Will you really be gone for six months?"_

_"Yup."_ He whispered instantly.

Cameron paused in thought as she observed House placing the empty plastic bottle on the floor bedside him. He rocked Etta gently as her eye flickers became less and less frequent and her breaths began to become deeper, deep sleep slowly overtaking her.

"But I don't think my paternity leave is the reason why your here,_ is it?_"


	31. Chapter 31: Cleanings and conversations

House held the home phone between his ear and his shoulder as he knelled on the floorboards of his apartment in front of his couch.

"uhh," House huffed down the phone. "No, I just picked up the first brand I could find on the shelf!"

"No!" Cuddy replied, "I'm telling you House that brand won't do anything. They basically come in the pack already dry."

_God I don't even work for her anymore and shes gnawing my ear off without even being in the room,_ House thought to himself._ That would be considered a general skill, right?_ House rolled his eyes as he tried to clean Etta's messy 'situation'. Etta laid on the couch seemingly disinterested and unaffected by the smell that infected the apartment, House on the other hand held his breath as he attempted to change her diaper.

House huffed again as he struggled to wipe Etta clean, "they don't do anything!_ These wipes just move everything around but they don't clean anything."_

Cuddys frustrated tone could be detected down the phone line as she breathed, "that's what I just said."

House guided the dry,'wet' wipe along his infants diaper area and then plonked it on top of the pyramid of used wipes in the diaper disposal bag beside him. He had used half a pack of wipes so far to clean Etta for her diaper change but to no prevail._ He was struggling so bad he had to call Cuddy who had not been helpful with anything so far. _

"Oh dear God child," House said to Etta. "What the hell did you eat? Your not even on solids yet," he mumbled.

"Okay House just get some tissue. Go get some tissue now," Cuddy said in a fit of petty annoyance. "Put the phone down and get some tissue."

_"I can't,_" he sulked in reply.

_"Why?_" Cuddy sulked back. They had been at this for 15 minutes. Everything she suggested he just ignored. He was just changing her diaper, she knew he'd done that before so why was he making such a big deal this time?

"Because I'm knee deep in wet wipes that don't work, a baby laying on the couch cushion in front of me, and a diaper that's still filled to the brim and ready to blow. I'm stuck here!"

_There's only one thing for it_, Cuddy thought. "Well-I-think-I'm-breaking-up-I"

House rolled his eyes and stretched for a box of tissues on the coffee table as the sound of Cuddy's phone line 'breaking up' played on down the phone into Houses ear. The ringing of the phone line being disconnected sounded as House hung up and placed the phone on the couch next to Etta. It was 8:15am and Houses leg felt as though he'd been on his knees all morning. House made progress of the messy 'situation' with the tissue as the phone began to ring again.

"Don't try to apologize Cuddy," House said as he put the phone on speaker whilst he continued cleaning his infant. "_You've already hurt my feelings_," he said with heavy sarcasm.

"Speaking of hurt feelings" Wilson replied.

"Oh thank god!" House praised as his daughter was now clean. He threw the giant pom-poms of tissue on the pile of used wipes along with the dirty diaper and swapped it for a clean one.

"Thought you didn't believe in God," Wilson joked.

House strapped the diaper onto Etta and held her up victoriously as it stayed on. _"I do now."_

"Heard Cameron came by. Apparently she left a lot more miserable than she did going in...I mean everyone in your company gets increasingly miserable," Wilson teased "but this ones apparently a new record for you."

House tied a knot in the diaper bag to seal its contents inside and took the phone off speaker as he placed the phone between his shoulder and ear again. He redressed Etta who had been patiently waiting for her diaper to be changed for 15 minutes now. "Yeah but what you don't mention is that all the people who are miserable in my company just haven't been in your's yet."

"Most of the people in my company have cancer," Wilson replied.

House rose to his feet slowly as he adjusted himself to the dull ache that ran along his leg, "well that's what happens when people spend to much time around you."

"What the hell happened?" Wilson pleaded.

"Nothing," House explained, pulling Etta up from the couch to be held against his chest.

Wilsons whining really wasn't going to get him anywhere. _There was simply nothing to tell._

"She came over here to ask if what she said to me motivated my decision to take paternity leave," House elaborated as he bobbed up and down with his baby upright in his arms, the phone still scrunched between his shoulder and head.

Wilson paused before speaking into the receiver again, "well did it?-"

"No!" House tutted, "_my right to paternity leave motivated my decision for paternity leave_" he mocked.

"Well what did she say to you?" Wilson asked between a mouthful of something. _This would be about the time Wilson would of been having breakfast at home, but the fact he was eating at his office was interesting._

"She said I had feelings for her or something along that line when I was still working," House shrugged. "And she thought I left because apparently the thought of her being angry with me is_ too much for me to deal with_," he explained sarcastically "_and so I just had to leave!_"

"Wow," Wilson said in quiet shock.

"Don't worry I set her straight when she came here," House said dashing through his sentence. Wilson could only imagine the humiliation that he had subjected Cameron to last night, she was definitely _not_ happy this morning. "But to something more interesting," House continued with interest "- _whats her name?_"

Wilson tutted, "she has no name because she doesn't exist."

"Actually I was talking about your _wife._ But seems as you didn't assume that I was talking about _her_ that means there is a naughty, little mistress on the side," House teased.

"Goodbye, House" Wilson said as he put down the phone.

House dropped the phone back down on the couch as he held his daughter up and examined her perfectly formed face. _He didn't know about Wilson,_ House thought. _But Etta was the only girl he'd ever need in his life._


	32. Chapter 32: Wilson Wednesday

Cuddy observed the small crowds of people in the cafeteria, eating their food with co-workers or loved ones. It was Wednesday lunch time and she was patiently awaiting Wilson to join her for lunch, like he did every Wednesday. But as she was waiting, thoughts kept drowning her mind, bugging her constantly. She studied her thin, white napkin as she toyed with it. Twiddling with the softly, woven edges of the tissue. Running it through her slender fingers. Her Cesar salad taking a spot isolated from her attention on the light, wood table that gleamed underneath the light. She was far too deep in contemplation to tuck into her lunch.

"Hey Lisa," Wilson greeted as he placed himself on the seat next to Cuddy with a cup of coffee in his hand, breaking Cuddys train of thoughts.

Cuddy looked up, placed her chin on her hand and smiled at her friends presence. "Hey Wilson."

Wilson pointed a finger to the abandoned salad and raised a thick eyebrow, "not hungry?"

Cuddy sighed, "no not really."

"Me neither," he admitted. "Stress is such a wonderful appetite suppressant, isn't it?"

Cuddy sat herself up in her chair and chuckled wearily, "not so much stress as distracted."

"Whats the distraction?" Wilson inquired as he sipped his warm beverage.

Cuddy groaned and flicked her dark, shoulder length hair and glanced at the strong winds that blew outside the window. "Its nothing. Really, don't worry. Whats on your mind?"

Wilson scoffed softly, "just stuff with Beth. It'll blow over, always does."

_"You fighting?_" Cuddy asked arching her head questioningly to convey concern and interest. Beth had never been the most rational of people and from what Cuddy could remember of her, not the most sensitive.

"No. Just the usual stuff," Wilson replied with obvious deception that Cuddy detected.

The bustling of the moderately busy cafeteria played like a soundtrack to their mundane conversation. People dispersed around them socialized with their lunch buddies with great enthusiasm, which made a great contrast of Wilson and Cuddy who sat together at their table. Both of them harboring subjects that they wished they could confide in one another but restrained themselves from sharing, which unfortunately left them very little to discuss as their worries took up residency in the forefront of their minds. They discussed the weather, work, patients and hospital business until a more meaty topic presented itself;

"You spoken to House?" Cuddy questioned, playing around with the fresh green leaves of her salad in its plastic container.

"Yeah I have," Wilson replied removing the coffee cup from his lips as he allowed the liquid to run down his throat.

"Is he okay?" Cuddy inquired, "he called me a couple days ago."

Wilson raised his eyebrows to encourage her to divulge more into her discussion with the grumpy gimp.

"Diaper emergency," she explained with a tinge of amusement "the thing with kids is that they don't come with instruction manuals."

Wilson chuckled,"definitely sounds like House. He was bound to have a few hiccups here and there, but hes coping fine. Who knew he had great paternal instincts?"

"Well if House can raise a kid then it definitely bods well for the rest of us," Cuddy joked.

"Yeah," Wilson agreed. "I must admit he seems very good with it all. But I can't wait to see the teenage years," he teased "that's where I think the true challenge lies."

Cuddy smiled at Wilsons humor. "Do you ever think of having kids?"


	33. Chapter 33: 4 months early

**4 months later**

Wilson tapped on the green door of Houses apartment, the faint sounds of rushing around and cries of a 6 month old ringing around the apartment could be detected. When the door swung open the full volume of disorganization hit Wilson as he was greeted by a slender, soft-looking woman.

"House is just getting ready," she said through a thick Ukrainian accent as she invited Wilson in. "You doctor Wilson?"

Wilson walked into the threshold of the apartment, his expensive shoes making a 'clanking' sound as they made contact with the floorboards as he walked. "Yes. How long will it be till he's ready?" Wilson asked as he and the foreign woman stood awkwardly in the center of the living room.

The young woman shrugged, "he is just trying to get Etta to settle and say goodbye before he leaves. Should not be too long."

The distinctive cries of Etta could be heard from the bedroom and showed no sign of diminishing. House limped out of the bedroom and down the hall to appear in the living room, clutching his cane in his hand and his 5 month old infant in his right arm upright who clutched to her father reluctant to let go.

"Hello Wilson," House shouted with a tinge of familiar humor trying to make himself heard over the screams. Etta clutched the collar of her fathers white shirt with her small left hand as she placed her head against his chest. Her tears that rolled down her face staining his shirt as she cried into the fabric. House was accustomed to being soaked with baby formula, puke and goodness knows what and the drenched clothing seemingly did not bother him, but House still seemed upset.

Wilson nodded in Houses direction to greet him, "its 11:45 am" he stated showing House his wristwatch. "Cuddy did say she needed you to be there by 9."

House rolled his eyes, but not in his usual playful manor as he tried to soothe his child. Bobbing her up and down whilst swaying her. "Well my leave was meant to last six months, so arguably I'm two months early." House hooked his cane on the crook of his arm and cradled his daughters head by placing a warm hand behind it. House closed his eyes and kissed her head as he continued to sway and soothe her. Resting his head close against Etta's to try to reassure her. Wilson and the young woman stood observing the heart wrenching scene until House noticed, "this is Dominica. Shes the nanny" he said introducing the two of them seeing they both felt awkward in one another's company.

"I take her, you need to go to work." Dominica said finally, as she traveled across the room near the entrance of the hallway were House stood and allowed House to begrudgingly give Etta to her. Dominica took Houses place and resumed swaying Etta in her arms upright.

"Shh," House soothed as he smoothed Etta's hair with his fingers. The intensity of her cries increased as Etta held out her arms for her father. "I love you," House whispered as he kissed Etta good bye and dashed out the door on his cane, gesturing to Wilson to follow him.

* * *

Wilson attempted to make small conversation during the car journey, but House was disengaged. He was silent for the whole duration. Wilson was finally able to see the miserable, misanthropic House that had disappeared for a couple months _(or at least its intensity had been turned down a couple notches)._

"Nothing like falling back into old habits, huh House?" Wilson said monotonously as they sat silently in the parked car. House tipped his head back into the head rest of the car seat, closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. _Today was going to be a long day._


	34. Chapter 34: Everything with your Ego

"Cameron, have you seen House?"

Cameron swiveled around to see Cuddy coming up beside her in the hall wearing her usual tight black skirt, which contrasted Camerons casual pink scrubs as they both began walking side by side.

"I _was_ trying to find him myself," Cameron stated. Cuddy frowned in confusion which encouraged Cameron to elaborate. "Foremans rucksack had several open jars of baby food on it. _Completely_ ruined everything in there."

The sound of Cuddys heels clinked with each step down the hallway as Cuddy rolled her eyes in frustration,"Great. The screws from my desk are missing. I literally put a couple of files on it and it collapsed. Its just a heap on the floor of my office _and I've got clients coming for a meeting this afternoon,_" Cuddy explained as she waved a her hands about in annoyance. "Do you know where he is?"

Cameron looked down at her bleeping pager and closely examined it as the women continued maneuvering themselves down the hall past patients and staff. "Like I said I _was_ trying to find him, but something else came up. He's probably in his office again._ A morning of avoiding all of us must of tired him out._"

Cuddy scoffed loudly._ House could never be tired of screwing with people._ It was what he was born for.

Cameron placed her hand Cuddys arm, "sorry need to go. Let me know what happens."

And to that Cameron rushed off leaving Cuddy to pause in the middle of the hallway, she didn't really _need_ to know where House was. Just_ why_ he was doing all this. And perhaps give him a couple extra clinic hours for his misbehavior. _Although on the upside her wreck of a desk had been baby-proofed before it had been sabotaged,_ Cuddy thought to herself.

* * *

House leaned his elbow on his desk using it to prop his head up and he played on his laptop lazily. Clicking through various websites to keep himself amused enough to be able to get through today. His shirt sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up which really conveyed his unwillingness to work along with his cluttered desk. _Everything was back to normal for House._

The transparent door of Houses office opened as Cuddy entered. House glanced at the watch on his wrist and concluded that he was disappointed; He was expecting Cuddy would find him a lot quicker than this. Cuddy walked over to Houses desk with her hands on her hips and loomed over him.

"What have you been doing?" Cuddy questioned with a scowl.

House looked up with his chin still propped up by his hand. "Watching Porn," he explained sarkily "things been a slow since the little one was born."

Cuddy raise her eyebrow in a grimace, "was this _before_ or _after_ you sabotaged mine and Foremans things?"

"Both before _and_ after," House replied. Still playing on his laptop whilst he sat comfortably in his chair, disinterested in Cuddys lecture.

"So is this your like your little way of saying your glad to be back? Pissing us all off?"

"Quite the opposite actually." House sat upright and leaned on back on his chair, his whole demeanor changing from disengaged to confrontational. "Why did you need me back so desperately?"

Cuddy stopped in her tracks, suddenly realizing how insensitive she had been to House. Coming to his office and attacking him with disapproval of his actions was the completely wrong tactic, his actions were justified. "I'm really sorry, House" she said remorsefully. "I knew you were excited about your leave and I tried to allow you your full amount of time," Cuddy explained with culpability. "But nobody can do this job as well as you can."

House dismissed Cuddys admission of guilt and wrongdoing and continued to berate her sarcastically, "Oh! Well I thought that was what you and Foreman was for. But because you-" he said pointing a sharp finger at Cuddy, "couldn't do your job I was therefore dragged back to mine."

"House, calling you back to work was a last resort. I went through everything else before I called you but your team couldn't cope," Cuddy explained which House replied to with an eye roll. "But maybe your leave being cut short is a good thing," Cuddy reasoned cheerily "you get to adjust to working around Etta sooner and will get better at it quicker-"

"-No, It wont work out that way. I will have to adjust to raising my baby_ around_ work," House snarked as he cutting Cuddy off. "I never wanted to be one of those half assed parents who read_ just_ enough bedtime stories so they wont feel guilty because my Boss and team wrench me away."

Cuddy's guilt became overwhelming as she sensed the distaste and dissettlement that House felt of his words as he spat them out. "House- you'll never be one of those parents," she reassured as she attempt to calm Houses growing temper.

"Well what would you know," House said with a caustic jibe. "Thank God you don't have kids, 'cause you'd suck as a parent. Hate to think how bad you'd make them suffer at the expense of your falsely remorseful, egotistical ass._ But who cares just as long as your hospital is okay."_

Cuddy was caught off guard at Houses contemptful words as he resumed his original position of playing on his laptop. Her eyes began to whelm up with water just as House realized how hurtful he had been when he glanced up at her. She knew it was just something he had said in the heat of the argument and by the tinge of guilt on his face as he looked up at her, she knew he regretted he had said them. But unlike Cuddy, he neglected to apologize for his insensitivity. He always had.

"You can take the rest of the day off, its almost 5 o'clock anyway" Cuddy informed with a self defeated and broken tone before she left Houses office silently.


	35. Chapter 35: Not your fault

It was later in the evening in the hospital, the June evening sunset beaming a soft light into Cuddys office window and warming her face as she sobbed into her hands. She sat on her armchair with her feet resting on the coffee table in an effort to avoid being seen crying by the nurses in the clinic, who might glance into her office door and see her distress. But Cuddy did not want to be comforted.

She replayed the conversation she had had with House two hours previously continuously in her head. When House wanted to hurt he knew_ just_ where to jab a sharp stick. _And the worse thing was he wasn't even wrong,_ Cuddy thought. House had highlighted with a giant, red marker all of her insecurities that she had tried to deny existed. Her tears flooded down her face even more as each thought pained her mind sharply, the warm gleam of summer light shimmering on her tear ridden face.

The handle of the door turned, making Cuddy brace herself for the embarrassment of being caught in her current state of vulnerability.

"I'm busy," Cuddy said as she glimpsed at her visitor.

"I know." House replied in a soft tone, trying to be sensitive to Cuddys vulnerable condition. He closed the door behind him gently and limped over on his cane to the office couch beside Cuddy as she wiped her face with her hands. A sorrowful silence loomed over the room. House allowed Cuddy to clean herself of tears and regain her composure before he spoke to her. He knew Cuddy only felt comfortable when calm and in control, and he would make no progress with her if she felt otherwise.

"What do you want?" Cuddy asked with puffy red eyes as House sat quiet on the couch.

House twiddled with his cane between his hands, "you seemed more hurt by the crap I said than usual."

Cuddy scoffed as she rested her forehead on her hand that was propped up on elbow she leaned on the arm of her chair. "Well isn't that always the goal of the crap you say?"

House remained quiet. Carefully examining and reading her body language before he dared say anything. He knew he had a notorious track record for making things worse in situations like these. Currently he was unaware of what particular insult had hurt Cuddy this much or how he was going to reverse it.

Cuddy sighed and leaned towards the small box of tissues that resided on the coffee table she was resting her slim legs on, "and besides it wasn't even crap. I know its true."

"What was true?" House questioned.

Cuddy tutted softly and looked at House dolefully. finding it hard to verbalize her thoughts. She played with the tissue in her hands as House studied her, looking for a hint or something he could work with. He had never had any practice with things like this.

"Whatever I said was stupid," House said gently trying to comfort her as she sat in her chair. "And I'm sorry about your desk," House said gesturing with his cane to her pathetic lump of wood that was her desk. "I'll get my tools out again tomorrow."

Cuddy chuckled gently at Houses humor that was designed to lift her mood. "Its fine," she said as she sniffled. "I'll get the janitor to put it back together before I leave. Besides you have a baby to get back too."

House nodded understandingly. He knew Cuddy wasn't upset from something he said, otherwise she would want to make him suffer by agreeing that he put her desk together again. When they was in his office he must of touched upon a more deep seat subject that was already dormant within Cuddy for her not to fully blame him for her distress. But he wished she would. He felt awful.

"Is this what this is all about? _My baby_?" House questioned in confusion. _What would Etta have to do with Cuddy being upset?_ And then it suddenly hit House... "That is what your upset about."

Cuddy nodded, "yes. You get one and I don't," Cuddy admitted as her eyes threatening to whelm up again. "Its stupid and its childish."

House sat stagger deep in the cushions of the couch as Cuddy looked at him slightly ashamed of her true feelings. This was the first time she had admitted them out loud, something she had tried to avoid doing because otherwise it would make her jealousy true. She would never be able to deny that it wasn't real.

"So me saying what I said couldn't of made you feel any better about yourself," House said as he tried to understand Cuddy better. "But the only logical reason as to why you'd be this upset was if you were trying to have one yourself..."

Cuddy turned to look to House which confirmed his theory. He always knew how to read people. "I've tried several rounds of IVF but none of them have took," she explained as she refrained from facing House. "You were right as usual. I'd suck at being a parent."

Houses conscience which usually buried itself deep within him, made a sharp impulse of guilt and caused House to wince. Cuddy had already been unconfident about her ability and desire to become a mother, and he just unknowingly threw fuel on the fire in the heat of the moment without thinking of the impact it would have.

"I see you and every other parent with their children and you guys just all know what to do," Cuddy continued as House listened respectively as Cuddy began to choke on her tears as she ranted."I can't even get pregnant and I'm not even sure if I have that maternal instinct. I look at children and I don't know what to do with them. But even you instinctively knew how to look after your daughter, the last one everyone would even suspect to be paternal, and I just pulled you away from your paternity leave two months early."

"The IVF wasn't your fault," House explained as he tried to comfort Cuddy with logic. "Things like that happen. They aren't anyone's fault." He studied Cuddys profile and saw his reassurance and consoling made no affect on Cuddys despairing condition. She just sat in her chair unmoved and fiddled with her tissue depressingly. And so House decided to put himself on the alter of self-sacrifice. "And I'm not as paternal as everybody thinks I am."

Cuddy scrunched her face and frowned in slight offended disbelief as she crumpled her tissue in her hands. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better, House. Although I appreciate the sentiment," she said as she sniffled and squeezed Houses hand appreciatively which lied on the arm of the couch. She turned to face House to see his expression conveying seriousness and woefulness as she realized he was being truthful.

"Its 6:30, why are you still here?" Cuddy asked in concern.

House shuffled in his seat unable to speak as feelings he had no words to describe threatened to take him. He repressed them before he began to explain, "Etta's mother called today. She is coming over my apartment so she can talk to me tonight."

Cuddy struggled to find words to offer to House. _"You don't want to talk to her."_

House shook his head as he twiddled with his wooden cane between his hands and settled himself deeper in the couch. "No," he said simply. "She didn't even mention that she was pregnant and all of a sudden left all the rights to me,_ why should she get to talk with me?"_

"House. Your a good father and Etta is the best thing to ever happen to you," Cuddy said placing her hand on Houses arm.

House dismissed Cuddys words of comfort as his voice became slightly shakier with which each word, "How can I be any good when I'm meant to be the strong one and protect her?" He said directing his question at Cuddy which was answered with silence. "There's no doubt that this will make me strong, but I'm meant to be the stronger one and yet when I doubt myself Etta is the one who is my belief._ Her mother will just walk in and out of her life and I don't know how to protect my baby from it."_

House took a deep breath from his dashed rant and smiled at Cuddy as he blinked back the tears and chuckled, "your not the only one who is scared."

Cuddy and House chuckled softly which lifted the mood slightly. "Finally something you've said in all these years that has made me actually feel better," Cuddy grinned which made House smile softly. Cuddy deeply breathed as she felt her worries and melancholy lift from her chest, Houses equal level of agonizing over parenthood making her feel back to herself again.

"What are you are you going to do- about her I mean?" Cuddy asked as House rose from his place on the couch and throwing his blue rucksack over his shoulder, ready to depart.

House shrugged, "go home and confront the problem."

Cuddy raised her eyebrows which framed her puffy eyes in astonishment._ House always avoided issues._

_"Gosh I feel so grown up,"_ House said in his usual sarky attitude. House left through the doors of Cuddys office as Cuddy remained where she sat in a happier state then when he had entered.

_She knew that as long as House kept trying to be the best father he could be to Etta, she wouldn't give up trying to get a baby she too could call her child._


	36. Chapter 36: The woman

House sat at his sturdy kitchen table contemplating anxiously. It was 10 o'clock and Etta had been put to sleep hours ago. When he came home Etta was playing with Dominica on the living room floor, but as soon as she saw him she reached her arms out for House. Picking her up was the highlight of a long day. The summer sun had only just set as though it tried to prevent the evening darkness from falling. But surely enough the night prevailed and time ticked agonizingly on. _She will be here soon,_ House thought.

A part of him felt happiness and another felt bitterness towards his impending visitor. He had no predictions of how this evening would pan out, he just hoped it wouldn't act out too badly or awkwardly. House poured himself a small glass of bourbon whiskey and swallowed the half a glass full of liquid courage. The sound of the clock ticking filled the kitchen as House sat on the kitchen chair rubbing his leg soothingly. House sighed longingly which was disturbed by the quiet tapping at the door. Cortisol and other stress hormones flooded through Houses system as his ears were heightened to the sound.

_Maybe its not to late to back out of all this,_ House joked inside his head in an attempt to break his growing apprehension. He rose from his chair and limped from the kitchen to the front door.

"Hey." The visitor softly said as smiled, gripping her purse strap between her hands nervously.

House nodded without expression as he widened the door to allow her entry. The slender woman stepped through the arch of the door and into the living room, her medium length dark hair shimmering under the light of Houses apartment. House scrutinized her body as she walked past him and stood by the couch awaiting permission to sit. _You would not of guessed she had only had a baby five months ago._ Her soft blue, cotton cardigan hanging loosely on her frame contrasting her tight fitting black business pants.

"I just came from work," she stated trying to break the stuffy atmosphere as House approached the couch to seat himself. They both sat silently in one anothers company, both perspiring slightly from the awkwardness. "So..." She said as she tried to initiate conversation but ultimately failed.

House cleared his throat, "What have you been up too?" House asked. He hoped mundane small talk may make them feel more comfortable and at ease. They had to begin somewhere.

The woman chuckled gently, "this is what it's come too? Small talk?" She joked as she sussed House. From the little time he had spent with her, he knew small talk was a pet hate both of them shared along with several undesirable traits. _Wittiness being one of them. _"Although I guess it is needed," she continued "a lot has come out of our activities-"

"Orgasms? Baby?"House said sarkily cutting her off. He couldn't help but be sarcastic if he was going to survive tonight.

"-So maybe small talk isn't a bad place to begin," she finished as she adjusted her white shirt nervously. It was almost as if she was in lock step with Houses thoughts like they had been before.

"Maybe its not," House replied. The conversation was quickly beginning to run dry which did not bode well for the rest of the evening. House felt the collar of his casual black t-shirt begin to pull and tighten slightly, choking him dry for words.

"How have you been?" She questioned. Her thick eyelashes framing the perimeter of her gentle, round eyes that examined Houses facial features as she gave him her undivided attention. Interested in what had happened since she last saw him.

"Great- How's your husband?" He replied quickly. Defensively deflecting her inquiry,_ how did she think he was doing? _She could probably figure that out as she was far from idiotic.

"I was hoping he wouldn't come up tonight."

"Well it would be stupid not to mention the elephant in the room," House said humorously. _"I mean I'm hoping he isn't an elephant nor am I hoping he is in the room but..._" He trailed off.

The woman nodded understandingly."He's fine."

"Only because he doesn't know your here," House commented and knew he had hit the nail right on the head. He knew his former flings husband must of been one of the most naive men on the planet because the woman who was placed on his couch wasn't a very good liar and nor did she like doing it. Alike to Cameron she was one of those people who were annoyingly and consistently honest in which ever situation they were in. However unlike Cameron, her moral compass was not as dead straight as she believed or wanted it to be. Instead of lying she just avoided and neglected to admit the truth.

"No he does not. He is expecting me to be back at 12 tonight."

House studied the expressions that played through on her face and he noticed Etta shared them same red, plump lips as her mother. "So anyway how have you been?" House interrogated, "you split pretty quickly after the birth._ Literally left the room for a couple minutes and you had gone."_

A long awaited exhale came from the mouth of the woman as she rolled her head back onto the couch, as if relived from the tension that had built up to this question. She knew she had a lot to answer and she knew he deserved to know each answer to them, no matter how agonizing or painful she found them to respond too. _She did care about House. _"I know, I'm sorry. I just never expected something to come out of our fling. Never thought I'd get pregnant."

House scoffed inwardly as he listened. _Neither did he. _


	37. Chapter 37: Affairs of the heart

House woke up groggily from his disrupted sleep as Etta rose from her deep sleep beside him on the bed. House felt great comfort as the first thing he saw was his baby girl playing with the fabric of the sheet that covered them, and chewed on the corner soaking it in dribble. House thought back to the heated events of last night as he combed through the dark hair that decorated Ettas small head. House felt his chest ache slightly as his mind gradually reminded him of all the details;

They had began to start kissing and caressing on the couch. The excitement was the same they had felt when the affair had first began. It felt wonderful. Being close to someone was something House had never been good at, or maybe even not capable of, and although he had never given his soul to Ettas mother he still enjoyed the pseudo-relationship. That was all it was ever meant to be.

House remembered her hands through his hair and whatever unresolved issues there was between them just melted away. Everything outside of themselves had always became irrelevant when they were together; Her husband, Houses misery, her emotional complexity and how they both alienated the people around them. Their fling was something that could have been compared to a heroine high. A pleasure of contentment with how the world was around them, despite all of its flaws. But the high soon wheres off and you are back to waddling through the sea of worries you were in before, after she had too leave.

House held Etta closer to him on the bed as he laid on his right side and cradled his arm around her protectively. It must of been early as the summer sunlight had only just began to crack through the small opening between the curtains. _"There is nothing sadder than two people who were destined to be together, but something intervenes."_ That was something Houses mother had told him when he was 10. He couldn't remember what she was referring to, but the compartments of his mind had decided to retrieve that trivial memory.

Then as things began to progress further between them on the couch, Etta woke up. Things halted immediately as House stood up to attend to his child in his bedroom with her biological mother following behind him. He remembered picking Etta up and realizing what now really mattered. Despite all of the good and the bad between him and the woman that now stood leaning on his bedroom door frame, watching on in heart-breaking amazement of her daughter. This would have been the first time she had seen her since her birth. But House knew Etta and him would never be reason enough for her to stay, it didn't matter how much she loved them both she would always leave.

Houses heartbreak and grief made him appreciate his daughter all that much more. He kissed her forehead whilst she mumbled and gurgled at her fathers face and gently touched his stubble with the palm of her tiny hands. _Unlike heroine the high he experienced from Ettas presence would be ever lasting._

* * *

Wilson pushed entrance to Houses apartment with courtesy of the key placed above the door frame, and was greeted by the smell of freshly baked blueberry pancakes. House was in his black t-shirt and thin grey bottoms that were both creased by the previous night's sleep as he sat back to front on the wooden chair of the kitchen in front of Ettas highchair and spooned her liquid food.

Wilson wandered over to the kitchen which was filled with the sound of baby speak and sounds.

"Looks like some yummy food," Wilson said as he leaned on the frame of the kitchen.

House blew the food before he spooned it into Ettas awaiting open mouth. "Well of course it would look great to you, most of what you eat looks like baby food."

Wilson grabbed a clean plate from the cupboard and collected a pancake from the pile that was situated in the middle of the kitchen table. He tucked into the perfectly crafted food and stroked Ettas cheek. "Haven't seen you in a little while," Wilson said to Etta in a squeaky high pitched voice.

_"Its because Uncle Wilson has a new girlfriend he's not telling Daddy about_," House said mockingly. _"Naughty Uncle Wilson."_

Wilson cleared his throat. "Well, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately."

House turned round to see Wilson shovel another mouthful of pancake and examined a small crease in Wilsons finely ironed shirt, "come straight from _Mistress Wilson's_ place I see?" House teased.

"Wanna go to the playground?" Wilson suggested.

House frowned, "well it is a great place to meet chicks. _There moms too."_

Wilson chuckled, "come on. Ice cream is on me."


	38. Chapter 38: We look gay?

Wilson, House and Etta sat on the bench surrounded by screaming children. House held the vanilla ice cream in front of Ettas face as she munched huge chunks out of the ice cream they shared. Wilson on the other hand left his ice cream untouched, allowing the ice cream to slowly melt under the sun as he held the cone.

"On a scale of one to ten, how much would you rate the dullness of this trip?" Wilson asked turning to House.

"Ummm..." House thought, "_Probably a Wilson._" House licked the ice cream that dribbled down the wafer cone. _"I think that's like 'off the scale'."_

Wilson felt inwardly frustrated that he couldn't think of a cutting edge comeback which House detected and made him smirk with pride.

Hoards of children zoomed around the park. All of them hyperactive and struggling against the authority of their parents as they shouted _'stay where I can see you,' 'watch where your going' _and_ 'Jimmy stop hurting Greg like that!'_

"Yeah Jimmy stop hurting me like that," House laughed as he teased Wilson. But Wilson only gave a small smile. "Whats on your mind?" House questioned as he threw the empty cone in the garbage can beside them and reached for a wet wipe in the large baby bag beside his feet.

Wilson moaned gently, "nothing. I just don't think my life is going too well at the moment." Wilson licked the slowly melting liquid as it began to threatened to drip onto his jeans.

"Well having a woman in your life will do that to you. You of course have _two_ which would make you twice as miserable." House gently brushed the wet wipe across Etta's ice cream stained cheeks before.

"Pffft," Wilson dismissed. "I'm starting to think me and Beth might get a divorce."

House restrained himself from mocking his friend as he noticed Wilsons defeated tone and hugged Etta thoughtfully," you never mentioned anything to me about it."

Wilson sighed and threw his uneaten ice cream to join House and Etta's cone in the bottom of the garbage can. "Your enjoying fatherhood, why would I drop something like that on you? Besides being with you guys make me happy," Wilson finished cheerily.

"Really?" House asked, "because you really bum us out when your with us" House joked as Etta flapped her arms around on Houses lap.

Wilson glared playfully at House,"need more sun screen on her arm" he pointed out. "She's going slightly red on that patch. And I also knew my friend would screw with me about how every relationship I have ends in divorce if I mentioned it."

House bent over to retrieve a bottle of sun cream from his bag beside his feet," your friend sounds a like a complete bastard. He'd clearly do that anyway," House smiled reassuringly when suddenly two very attractive women approached them.

"Hey guys," one of the Latino women said as she crouched down to greet Etta. Ettas face reflecting off the woman's dark sunglasses.

"Sorry ladies but you are blocking our sun-" House snarked as he shuffled Etta to make her sit firmly in his lap.

"Ignore him- he's just antisocial." Wilson commented.

"Wow, shes beautiful. Whats her name?" The other blonde, busty woman asked as she stood staring down at Etta whilst the other woman remained playing with her on Houses lap.

Wilson smiled, "her name is Etta." House turned to raise an eyebrow at Wilson questionably who shrugged back at him comically as if to communicate; _well your not gonna talk to them what am I meant to do?_

"Aww she has the worlds cutest daddy's," the busty Latino commented as she rose back up to her feet. "Have a nice day," she waved as both women walked away. Wilson, House and Ettas eyebrows all raised into their hairlines in surprise as they remained unmoved on the bench.

"That bitch," House said slowly as he watched them both walk away.

"We look gay?!" Wilson squeaked.

House turned to eyeball Wilson, "fucking last time I go out with you in public."


	39. Chapter 39: Inoculations

"Okay, hold her still."

House held his daughters arm as he sat opposite to Foreman in the exam rooms of the clinic while Foreman wielded a sharp needle. House knew it wouldn't hurt him but he braced himself nonetheless as Foreman pushed the inoculation needle into Etta's soft arm, breaking her smooth skin. Etta sat in Houses lap without making a cry or sound of distress as the vaccination was over in a matter of seconds.

"Wow. Didn't make a sound," Foreman stated in pleasant surprise. "Shes the most well behaved baby I've ever come across._ She obviously doesn't get that from her dad,_" Foreman said dryly mocking House.

Foreman wiped the entry site of the needle with a soft cotton ball stained with ethanol and gently placed a plaster on it. He picked up Etta's medical records and flicked through the thick pages as House amused his daughter.

"Shes not very expressive, is she?" Foreman said as he watched House wave a toy in front of his daughter whilst Etta sat emotionless.

House looked up at Foreman,"she just not easily amused._ Like you."_

Foreman felt subtle concern set in as he couldn't remember a time where Etta had made eye contact with a person or made a big smile. "Does she make eye contact with you? She doesn't with me."

House dismissed Foreman's concern, "why would she? _She knows your the boring one."_

Foreman continued flicking through her medical records," well" he began. "At 6 months old shes a healthy weight and height. Nothing to worry about."

House stood up and held Etta on his hip as he flung his rucksack strap around his shoulder and grabbed his cane. "Thank you Foreman, too bad you gotta be down here for several more hours. _Really don't envy you,_" House said sarkily as he limped out of the examination room door.

* * *

Dominica picked Etta up from the toys on the floor that towered around her and passed her to House. He held his daughter close catching a small waft of her scent. She still had a faint baby smell that she had when she was born, and every time House arrived home he breathed it in.

"How she been today? _Devils spawn?_" House asked as he gently swayed as she latched her small hand onto the collar of his shirt like she always did.

"No, always good. She was lining up blocks today, couldn't tear her away from them."

House snickered, "thats not a soviet Russian thing you taught her, is it?"

Dominica collected her jacket that she had left on the back of the couch,"_ pfft._ Ukraine, actually."

House looked down at the soft colorful blocks that adorned his dark wooden floors. There were multi-colored lines and towers of blocks that Etta had engineered, which made House think back to what Foreman had said earlier that day.

"See you guys," Dominica said cheerily as she placed a soft kiss on Ettas forehead and Houses rough cheek before leaving the apartment hurriedly, he knew she was meeting her boyfriend tonight so he bargained clinic hours to come home early.

House stood in the living room unmoved whilst he still clutched Etta to his chest as he began to worry, pairing the potential symptoms together in his brain as he swayed Etta; _Lack of eye contact, non-expressive, unresponsive to pain and loved lining things up. _

House sighed as he looked down at the perfectly arranged blocks on his floor again.


	40. Chapter 40: Permission for Prion

Chase drummed his fingers against the glass table as House watched on intently. He wasn't listening to anything Chase, Cameron or Foreman was saying, but just glared at Chases lightly tanned fingers drumming heavily on the table. _Does he not get how annoying a person he can be?_ House thought,_ because he is certainly not as delightful as he thinks he is._

"-Which means we need Cuddys permission." Cameron said breaking House out of his train of thought.

House removed himself from leaning on the whiteboard that was riddled with useless ideas and graffitied with black marker. House breathed in deeply, "well-"

"Cuddy may give us the green light." Foreman interrupted as he turned his body to faced Cameron, pivoting on his chair.

Cameron blew her blocked nose on her crumpled tissue she kept conveniently in her shirt cuff before quickly retorting to Foreman. "No, the possibility of something going wrong is off the scale," she explained. "She'd never allow it."

Cameron and Foremans debated continued, but the only thing House could keep his attention on was Chases annoying activity.

_"Enough!"_ House declared.

Cameron, Foreman and Chase paused and look at House wide eyed and puzzled.

"Thank God!" House praised. "I thought I'd have to snap off your fingers and give you two," House pointed to Cameron and Foreman "a time out." House limped over to the sink and placed his favorite red mug into it. "Just chill out, guys" House said silkily.

"We gotta do something, House. Doubt the parents are gonna chill when they find out we have no ideas," Chase stated as he clumped his hands on his lap as House gestured for him to restrain himself from tapping.

"Well in the words of Bob Marley; _Don't worry about a thing_ and will go get permission," House said dryly finishing the differential as he left the outer office, leaving his ducklings to sit tight.

* * *

Cuddy sat at her desk and flicked through messages on her online profile from her cell, looking at the mass abundance that had accumulated since yesterday. _Who knew there were so many men on ? _Cuddy grinned as she skimmed through a few of the messages quickly, enjoying the quick 5 minute break she had given herself.

"Dr. Cuddy," House interrupted as he swung Cuddys office door closed again with a small slam. "Need you."

_5 minute break over._ "Please, House make it quick" she groaned. "I was very busy with work before you rudely interrupted."

House rolled his eyes._ Nobody grins like that when they are working. _Refusing to be distracted by Cuddys deception he placed a crisp white form in front of Cuddy, allowing her to glance at it quickly and reject the absurd procedure he was putting forward.

Cuddy raised an eyebrow, "err- No."

_"Pretty, pretty please?_" House pleaded as he played with his cane handle between his fingers and pulled a chair for himself.

"I'm not gonna let you cut open a 14 year old's head without any proof that its her brain," Cuddy said as she attempted to pass House his form back.

"We're looking for a prion disease. The only way we'd know its a prion disease is if we cut open her head," he retorted.

"She has a fever, cold sweats, recurrent seizures and muscle fatigue. Could be another- _unfortunately less exotic and less interesting_-disease though."

House tutted, "its understandable."

_Finally he was going to give in,_ Cuddy thought as she breathed inwardly in small relief.

"Irrationality does occur when a woman is pregnant," he finished with a small smirk.

Cuddy groaned. _Of course he wouldn't back down._ "I'm not pregnant and I'm not irrational because I'm not the one trying to cut someones head open. Although maybe you should get yourself a pregnancy test," Cuddy teased.

"_Oh I see what you did there!_" House chides wagging a finger at Cuddy making her grin slyly.

"Get an LP," she ordered. "That comes back negative_ then_ you can go rattling through this boys head. Now go away-" She said shooing House away with her hands. "_Mommy_ needs some alone time."

House stood up from his chair opposite Cuddy and playfully snatched his white form back and placed it inside his jacket._ He knew he'd need it again when the LP came back negative. _House went to leave as Cuddy resumed working through schedules until something caught her eye.

"Wait," Cuddy said halting House in his tracks. "Do you have a late appointment with a pediatrician?"

House processed Cuddys inquiry, trying quickly to form a cover story. "Yup."

"Thought you already had that appointment with Foreman yesterday."

"Yup," House repeated biting his lower lip before resuming his limp out of the office.


	41. Chapter 41: A troubled mind

House bathed under the light of the summer sun as he laid on the floor of his office. His body being warmed passively by the rays of the sun that beat down on him through the window as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, his troubled mind dissolving and melting as his feet rested on the ottoman that he dragged across the room into position for his comfort.

"Everything went well with the surgery," Chase announced swinging Houses office door open causing a cool breeze to ripple across the room.

House lifted himself up onto the support of his elbows, giving Chase a groggy look and he rose his head to greet him. "Of course I was. Break out the champagne."

Chase chuckled, "little early isn't it?"

House rolled his eyes comically,"pffft. My motto is that its never too early to booze it up. Wheres the other two?"

"Foreman and Cameron are downstairs," Chase explained as he leaned against the frame of the door. "Camerons just patching the patient up and Foreman is doing your clinic duty."

"Typical Cameron," House sighed as he resumed his original position and spread his torso back down onto the office carpet. The rough light brown fabric of the carpet underneath him. "No cripple, outcast or young one left behind."

Chase smiled lightly as he picked at his nails, "explains why she likes you."

House rose back up,"a lot of women like me. That's why no woman will go out with you because they're waiting for me to jump them," House teased insincerely.

Chase rolled his head back in false laughter, "oh that's why! I should stop trying so hard then."

"Oh no, no, no. Desperation draws them closer," House mocked.

When Chase left, House was drew back into thoughtfulness. Laying on the floor of the office, time felt it had halted to a slow stop. If he stayed here he wouldn't have to deal with anything, but he knew his girl needed him to come home. The carpet fibers acted as metaphorical pins and needles against Houses back that he also felt towards the pediatrician appointment tonight. What if something was wrong? But on the other hand, what if there was nothing wrong? _ If the latter was true,_ he knew he would find a new appreciation for paranoid parents.


	42. Chapter 42: Laziness and DNA

"Did you know that nurse Haynem is pregnant? Shes really big now."

"She could be having twins. Her stomach is nearly as big as Cuddys ass."

"Scans have missed that before."

"Cuddys ass? _Doubt anything could miss that."_

"I meant twins, House. Happened to my cousin. Didn't know she was having twins until she was 7 months."

"Well at least she can have two kids that share the same father. _Nurse Haynem I mean._ Major slut."

Wilson flicked through channels on the television in the staff room which was otherwise empty besides him and House sitting upon the couch lazily. The afternoon at the hospital was slow and the only sound that filed the hallways was the buzzing of socialization between doctors and patients. It seemed as though the light summer heat had melted away everyones enthusiasm to work that even the patients were to lazy to be sick. Everyone appeared to just be content.

"Has it occurred to you-"

_"-Probably."_

Wilson rolled his eyes, "has it occurred to you that there's something wrong with us?"

House sucked his fizzy drink out of the plastic straw, "speak for yourself."

"No, I mean how our relationships tend to head for ruin."

House sighed inwardly at Wilsons ignorance,"I don't have relationships. You on the other hand rush through them like an asthmatic person does with bronchodilators during hay fever season." House took another deep suck of his drink. The sound of it inferring it was almost empty. "Wait turn that back," he instructed to Wilson.

Prescription passion played on the TV set as House sat back deeply in the couch cushions that had molded themselves around Houses figure, while Wilson stared bored at the television. Prescription passion wasn't really his thing but as always he would fake interest in Houses interests. Like monster trucks.

"Was just talking about you- well. _A certain part of you,_" House said as Cuddy appeared in the staff room.

"Was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment in my office," Cuddy replied ignoring Houses teasing.

House sat up and placed his drink on the table beside him, "dunno what Carl told you but its an even 1000 for the whole night."

"I'll be waiting downstairs."

* * *

House sat at Cuddys desk flicking through pages of paper. Inspecting and scrutinizing them silently, "interesting reading."

"I wanted your opinion on genetics," she stated sheepishly. "I was leaning towards number six-fifteen but his grandmother-"

"Tested positive for the BR-CA gene," House finished without looking up from the file. "But his mother never got it. What you should really be worrying about is his complete blatant lying on his form."

Cuddy paused in puzzlement, "I just want healthy sperm. I don't really care about what book he_ pretends_ to like."

House rested the abundance of files of Cuddys desk, "well say your kid asks who their dad is in sixteen years time, what are you gonna say to them? Daddy was a cashier clerk but he _really, really_ liked Edgar Allan Poe._ Which by the way is spelt wrong here,_" he pointed out.

Cuddy huffed, "its not like I'm actually gonna be sleeping with him. Just takin' his sperm."

"Well actually you kinda are," he scoffed in reply. "Your having his baby and your kid is already being pummeled at recess by all the other sperm here."

_"Fine."_ Cuddy gave in, "find me some sperm that can beat up six-fifteens kids."

House held out his arms for the pile of files detailing potential sperm donors that Cuddy passed to him. Entrusting him to select the file that would change her life. If anyone was going to pick DNA that could give her child the best start, it was going to be House.

"House," Cuddy questioned as House shuffled an straightened the files in his lap. "Do you ever worry what you'll tell Etta about her mother when she's older? The meeting you had not that long ago didn't really pan out how you wanted it too."

House paused in thoughtful silence. He hadn't contemplated about Etta's mother in a while. Things had gotten busy lately and thoughts of her had been pushed out of his mind, "how do you know things didn't work out _exactly_ how I wanted them too?"

Cuddy smiled reassuring," because if it had you would be with her now."


	43. Chapter 43: The Book

House gently rinsed Ettas body as she sat in the sink of the kitchen. Houses cold heart warmed as he watched over his daughter biting on her soft building brick, the tips of her dark hair ever so wet with warm water. The smell of her apple baby body wash could be detected on her scent as she allowed the dripping of water drops to patter on her hand in a steady rhythm.

"You like the water?" House asked as he held his daughters small hand. Wrapping her entire hand around Houses finger as he gently stroked it with his thumb, amazed by how he created such a curious little creature. He examined her tiny fingers to the tips of them which were decorated with fine, soft pink nails. He lightly pecked her hand with a small kiss before lifting her out from the sink and wrapping her with a white, cotton towel he'd kept beside the sink. He let the plug out and limped out from the kitchen, telling Etta about his day as they moved towards the living room. Keeping to his evening ritual with her, envisioning as she got older she would do the same with him. He detailed the highlights of the day at the hospital from; Cuddy to Chase to Wilson.

"Doors open," House called as a response to the tapping on the door. He knew only one person to rap upon his door like that. His knock a trademark to his character.

A small suitcase trailed behind Wilson as he appeared on the threshold of the apartment. House sat in his lounger with Etta perked up on his lap, looking at Wilsons sombre expression.

"Murphys law," House said simply as he rubbed Etta dry. "Everything that_ can_ go wrong, _will_ go wrong. Nothing good can ever come out of an affair," House lectured but then realized the very big baby shaped hole in his argument that perched itself on his lap.

"Actually..." Wilson stumbled, "I wasn't the one having the affair."

House mulled over Wilson statement. He thought he had neglected his friend lately as he was too wrapped up in himself. A hazard of decreased misery in your life was that it tended to dull your attention to everything else. "Well," House began as he continued to dry his daughter. "I would offer you a beer but the closest thing I have to that is baby formula that may of gone off," he joked.

Wilson chuckled and followed Houses gesture for him to take a place on the couch. "Good bath?" Wilson pointed at Etta in her towel, still chewing at her soft brick she clutched with her hands.

"Wanna stay for a couple days?" House offered. He knew Wilson would feel uncomfortable asking himself. It wasn't as if he was a lone bachelor anymore and Wilson would be riddled with guilt if he thought he was inconveniencing them.

Wilson nodded and removed his coat letting it fall behind him on the couch he sat in as he shimmed it off. Wilson rubbed his temple as he leaned backwards into the backrest, releasing his troubles from his mind knowing he was at home in Houses apartment. His safe haven when things were too much to handle.

"Gonna go and put her to bed," House whispered as he rose from the edge of the lounger clutching Etta close to his chest.

Wilson remained unmoved only to select a medical journal among the many that were assorted on the coffee table. Flicking through uninterested in the studies he hoped would distract him, merely keeping his eyes occupied whilst his brain was on fire. He was filled with 'what if's'; _What if I had spent more time with her?, what if I tried harder in our relationship?, what if I spoke to her more about my feelings? _

50 minutes later House reappeared in the living room then moved towards the kitchen to rummage through the fridge. Bottles and items of food clanking as House revealed two small pots and spoons in each hand, and limped back into the living room plonking himself next to Wilson. House passed a pot and spoon to Wilson before switching the television on and turning the volume down ever so slightly.

"Baby formula?" Wilson questioned as he frowned.

House turned to Wilson, "told it was all I had." House spooned a large lump it his mouth. _"Been in there a while so it has a little kick," _he explained.

Wilson smiled lightly before unscrewing the lid of the pot open and joining House in watching monster trucks. _He knew he'd get through things here, he always did._

* * *

House went to bed an hour ago leaving Wilson to his own devices as he crept around the apartment, desperate not to wake anyone. Wilson placed his aftershave that he had packed on the edge of the bathroom sink. He had always disfavored Houses aftershave ever since that morning he woke up in his bathtub hungover, and had no option but to use it. It was no wonder why House never shaved. He reminisced on how House would force him to party until the early hours of the morning and thought about how much had changed recently. It was usually him who would have to convince House to even make an appearance to lunch nowadays.

Wilson turned down the hall to collect two shirts from his suitcase, intending to hang them in Houses closet. He gently opened the closet attempting to be as quite as possible with House and Etta asleep in the next room, only for it to be foiled when a thick leather bound book thudded on the floor beside his feet.

"_Crap,_" Wilson cursed under his breath as he listened intently for stirring within the apartment. With no sign of his noise disturbing anyone, he bent down and inspected the plain brown cover of the book. Opening it curiously to the first page he saw a picture of House and an attractive looking, dark haired woman happily together sat upright on a hotel bed decorated with several empty vodka shot glasses. Both of their faces beaming as they gazed at each other. Wilson looked closely at the picture and took in the womans features. He quickly recognized the lip and nose shape to be Ettas.

House had never mentioned her mother to him, and with what was then the pressure and fear of raising a child alone Wilson neglected to bomb him with questions related to her. He knew it was never going to be anybody that was familiar within the hospital as he never saw any pregnant women.

He looked at how House and this unknown woman gazed at each other in the photograph. The expression on Houses face was one he had never seen before; warm and open. The woman returning the same look to House.

Wilson turned to the next page where a second photograph decorated the contents of the book. The same woman holding what he assumed to be newborn baby Etta in her arms with House stood next to her as they both had the same expression as the picture before. Beaming and looking deeply into one anothers eyes. _This must of been when she was born_, Wilson thought as he took note of the hospital bed House stood beside cradling both the woman and the baby.

Suddenly a small square of folded paper fell out from the book and softly flitted down to the floor. Wilson bent down and sat beside the small square, still clutching the book as he descended. Sitting upon the floor Wilson opened the paper to reveal writing addressed to Etta. The letter detailed how much she loved her, and how much happier she thought she would be with her father and how dearly she would always love him. _Obviously referencing to House. _

Wilson teared a little as he read on through the letter as the writers apologetic and devastation could be felt through her words. He quickly slipped it into the book again and reinspected the two photos. The book was otherwise empty with blank paper besides the letter and two photos, it was obviously intended to be later filled with other things.

He looked at the first picture again. _Where it must of all began. _Wilson frowned,_ the picture must of been taken by a third person. _He mentally noted how House and the mysterious womans arms could both be seen in the photographs.

_Who did they both know that would of taken the pictures?_


	44. Chapter 44: Secrets and Rock and Roll

Wilson woke up as the sound of the television filled the living room. The arguments from The Real housewives of New Jersey ringing through Wilsons ears as he was disturbed from his deep sleep. His back aching from a poor nights sleep on the couch as he groaned and rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand.

"Morning Honey," House cheerily said.

Wilson glanced up to see House spoon feeding Etta on his knee, beige mush decorated around her mouth as they sat on the other end of the couch. Wilson examined their matching 'bed-heads' when suddenly he panicked, "how long did I sleep in for?! _Why didn't you wake me up!?"_

House put his wrist forward allowing Wilson to see his watch. Attempting to soothe Wilsons panick before he started screaming like a girl. It was 6:25am. Wilson sighed a breath of relief, he assumed that if he wasn't up before House it would probably be noon. _Parenthood,_ he thought to himself. _The only reason why House would be even willing to wake up before 11 am._

Wilson ruffled his blonde hair, which probably also matched House and Ettas, before removing the sheets he had sleep in and lifting himself up off of the couch. Leaving Etta and House to have breakfast.

Heading for the bathroom down the hall he passed the closet he had searched through last night, reminding him of the secrets he had found within. His feelings of concern and sympathy for his friend and child resurfacing from last night.

* * *

Wilson walked in through the hospital doors the bustling of hospital business greeted him as he entered the hospital into the lobby. Nurses and other colleagues smiling and waving at him as he passed them, Like any other day at work when he arrived. But instead of going to his office he went in through the clinic. Intending to see a very particular person.

He opened the door to Cuddys office almost urgently as Cuddy placed her phone down and studied Wilsons face, his features expressing something heavy weighing on his subconscious. Cuddy assumed it was his impending divorce, having already spoken to Bonnie this morning, but was proven wrong as Wilson began.

_"You got a minute?" _

* * *

House undressed Etta on his bed unbuttoning her clothing and flinging her blue baby grow across the room to land in the wash basket.

_"Score!"_ House said to Etta excitedly as it landed within the basket, only the sleeve of it hanging over the edge. He grabbed his personal favorite clothing item of hers; a little black rock and roll tee and pulled it over her small delicate head. He then shimmed a pair of dark blue jeans onto her and picked her up for inspection. He knew it was a stupid and laughable thing to do to dress her up like him, but she looked so cute as her blue eyes looked at his. He gently kissed her as she reached her hands out to graze them against his stubble, liking the prickliness on the surface of her palms as she did so.

House carried Etta on his hip as he limped out of the bedroom and towards the closet to collect a shirt for him to wear over his t-shirt. He swung open the closet door when his book fell from the shelf within the closet. House tutted before lowering himself down to pick it up._ Knew I should of found a better place to put it,_ he thought to himself. He clutched the book in his hand as he clutched Etta to his chest with the other before he noticed.

_There was a picture missing._


	45. Chapter 45: Bagels and Bros

Cameron tutted in false annoyance but failed to hide her amusement, "we shouldn't be talking about this."

Foreman and Chase sniggered.

"_Of course not he made love,"_ Chase mocked as he and Foreman laughed loudly. The sound of their laughter bouncing around the otherwise dormant coffee shop they were situated in as Cameron took her mocking in good graces.

"Well its not like he can do it anymore," Foreman said after he regained his breath whilst Chase sipped his coffee. Chases face still red and ripened from their burst of laughing.

Chase finished his sip and pointed a finger at Cameron, "but she wants to believe his still does because there would be a chance he'd do it with her. If you want him Cameron, your gonna have to jump him."

"Repeatedly,"Foreman agreed. "But I think you just like the _thought_ of being with him. _The reality is a little different_," he advised as he tucked into his food. "Got a baby now. Its not like he can do all the dating stuff with you. You'll always be second."

Cameron smiled at her immature co-workers wrongness, "I'm over House." She took a bite out of her cream bagel. "_And besides,"_ she added as she chewed "I'd date a guy with a baby."

Chase shrugged as he dipped his bagel into his coffee cup, soaking his bagel in the juices of his black coffee. "You ever dated anyone with a baby?"

Foreman shook his head. "No. But it wouldn't put me off," he said slowly. "I'm just saying when your dating someone you want to give them your full attention. When you have a baby your full attention is going to be on your child,_ not_ someone else."

"Well hopefully it should be," Cameron stated as she dusted the crumbs of her bagel off the table and crumpled her tissue in a heap. "A lot of kids not getting the attention they deserve because their parents are too occupied with dating. Its bad how some peoples priorities aren't leveled in the way they should be."

Foreman nodded in agreement as he munched heavily on his toast. "You okay?" He directed his question to Chase who seemed to have become quiet.

Chase snapped out of deep thought, "House might date again. You never know," he said sipping his coffee and brushing a hand through his hair.

Cameron frowned, "what makes you say that?"

Chase coughed,"well he had a baby. _Etta had to of come from somewhere."_

Foreman traced lines that were engraved on the surface of the dark, square wooden table as he leaned on the backrest of the chair. "Whoever is her mother is _missing out_. Etta is a cute kid. You seen her eyes? Shes beautiful. If I was her mother I couldn't leave her, even if her dad is as good as House is with her. He _and_ Etta deserve better."

"I'm sure shes not that bad," Chase said quietly as he finished his coffee and placed the empty white cup on the table. Placing Camerons used tissue into it.

Cameron thought to herself, "do you know who she is Chase?"

"Of course I don't," Chase said quickly."Just- you know. If House liked her enough to sleep with her, have a baby with her, she must of been okay to some measure."

Foreman glanced at the time on his phone as he pulled it from his trouser pocket. "We better go guys if we're gonna be to work on time. Lets go."

* * *

House swung the door to Wilsons office open as he sat at his desk.

"You know" House began "I agreed to let you stay at my house," he said silkily. "But I was under the illusion that one of the unwritten conditions of that agreement was that you didn't _steal_ from my house."

House limped over to Wilsons desk and sat himself opposite him as Wilson watched. "Its the bro code!" House finished.

Wilson frowned and waved his pencil,"I thought the 'bro code was that you put your bro's before hoe's."

House rolled his eyes over-exaggeratedly and tutted. "_Well seems as neither you or I have hoes,_" he explained.

Wilson nodded in realization, "oh_ I_ see."

"So," House said as he lifted his legs to rest on Wilson's desk. Supporting his bad leg with his hands as he did so. "What did you want with the photo?"


	46. Chapter 46: I'm not buying that crap

"Its just- you know," Wilson stumbled before sighing softly and drooping his head desolately.

House honed his eyes and meticulously examined Wilsons expressions. Whatever the reason it was seriously bothering Wilson. House experienced an ache within his chest and along his leg as guilt washing over him. His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. _What had he missed?_

"Its just since you've been busy with everything I've felt as though you and I aren't as close anymore," Wilson shrugged glumly. "_I mean I understand completely_. New baby and your adjusting, but we always told each other about girls we liked, shared stories and secrets. And it seemed as though we were drifting further and further apart when you didn't even tell me about the mother of you baby."

House studied his friends face, scrutinizing each minuet detail painted upon his face, his features screaming hurt and slight betrayal. _Maybe he should of told Wilson,_ he thought_. It was time he shared his feelings about Ettas mother and it only seemed appropriate to tell his best friend. The guy who had always been there whether he liked it or not._

House tutted disparagingly as he leaned forward to pinch a large elastic band from Wilsons desk and began playing and pulling it with his rough fingers. "Don't give me that crap. You didn't mean any of that," he said dismissively. "Your just a natural meddler. _You always gotta meddle."_

Wilson smiled. _It was worth a shot,_ he thought. "Fine you caught me," he admitted raising his hands in surrender. "But if anyone's gotta know its gonna be me, right? I was willing to make a sob story to learn the truth."

House scoffed. "You probably already know by now. Bet you made posters of that picture and passed 'em around. I'll be driving home and I'll see it on a billboard."

"Didn't get a chance too; Blimp costs have shot right up. But the reason you_ haven't_ told me is because it actually meant something to you."

"According to you everything secretly means something to me. You need to stop analyzing people. Its not your forte. Just be annoyingly empathetic. Its not as useful but its where your true talents lie."

Wilson hauled his desk draw and pulled from it patient files. Plonked them on the desk, a dull sound was made as the blue files made contact with the desk. "Well if I'm so bad at analyzing how do I know your secretly a lot nicer than you make out?" He licked his thumb, glistening it lightly as he brushed it over the cover of the first patient file. Opening and reading through it as House chattered on.

"Because your secretly a lot more cynical than you make yourself out to be. Why else would you hang out with me otherwise?"

"Cameron agrees with me. About what I said about you of course, because what you said was ridiculous."

"She sees a pile of dirt and she thinks of me."

Wilson was momentarily distracted from perusing his files as Houses rubber band pinged from his hands across the room, landing in a heap in the corner of his office. "Or a lump of something else."

The handle on the door turned as Chase poked his head in. "Gotta case. Cuddy wants us to take a look."

House turned from Chase to Wilson. "Oww," he pouted as he removed his feet down from the fringe of Wilsons desk and rose from his chair. "Too bad I gotta go. Not that this conversation was boring, dull or at all intrusive_ in any manner."_

Wilson rolled his eyes with light amusement as House strode away before pausing his pace and swiveled on his heel.

"Give me back the photo."

Wilson looked up to see House holding his hand out expectantly. House body language expressing he wasn't leaving without it. Chase stood patiently by the doorway looking on confused at this curious scene almost anxiously.

Wilson tugged his draw open for a second time and pulled the photo in question from the contents of his draw. House took the photo within his clutch and hastily exited Wilsons office, leaning heavily on his cane as Chase followed suit.

Wilson reflected,_ maybe this picture means a lot more than Wilson previously thought._


	47. Chapter 47: 17 and pregnant

Chase and House strode out of Wilsons office as House carefully deposited the photo within his pocket.

"What was that all about?"

House glanced at Chase as he hustled the outer office door open, "nothing you need to worry about."

Chase sighed under his breath in frustration. He knew House was being deceptive.

"I understand there's a case but I don't understand why your suddenly here." House limped over to the glass table and snatched one of the files assorted on the table. Cuddy merely gave him a look.

"17 year old female, pregnant. Presenting with nausea, vomiting and dizziness."

House frowned with badinage, "yeah_ strange, strange_ symptoms for a pregnant person to present with. Now I'm only a doctor but could it have something to do with her being- _oh I don't know- pregnant?"_

Cuddy ignored Houses disparaging and continued,"its not the pregnancy. Its something else."

"Your only saying that because your experienced some _hormone changes_ yourself." House wagged an eyebrow suggestively.

"Could be arsenic poisoning," Cameron proposed examining the file. "In which case we need to treat her straight away."

"Oh God not you too," House said acknowledging Cameron with raillery.

Chase joined Foreman and Cameron as he placed himself at the table, "she'd have severe diarrhea if it was arsenic poisoning by this point."

"And hair loss," Foreman added before slapping his file on the table. "Worst case scenario Caffery disease."

"Didn't realize the patient was a 6 month old," Houses satire directed at Foremans suggestion. "Although she is knocked up at 17. Could be drugs."

Cuddy scrunched her face dismissively," her Tox screen was clean. Shes a really smart, nice kid. She was married before she got pregnant but her husband died."

"All the more reason for her to be taking drugs," Foreman said incredulously.

"Not everyone is taking drugs," Chase defended. Offended by Foreman and Houses distrusting nature. _Why was everybody so cynical?_

"Everybody lies. Search her shack and Cameron test her blood for drugs the ER didn't test for."

The team dispersed on Houses orders from the diagnostics office leaving Cuddy and House alone. Cuddy turned to House, her expression detailing sympathy and ultimately repelling House.

"House. We need to talk."

He turned on his heel and limped towards his office hurriedly. "No we don't," he called back as he entered his office. But Cuddy wasn't about to be dismissed this easily. She tailed House into his office, her shadow casting on the floor as the hot summer sunlight burst through the office window and hit her figure.

"Wilson went through your stuff last night," she began.

House hung his cane on the fringe of his desk and placed his weight heavily on his hand, leaning against the support of his desk. "Well of course he told you. I hate practicing medicine in high school," he ribbed. Attempting to keep the conversation light with witty, good-natured teasing.

"Don't worry I'm not going to badger you about what he found."

"Think this counts," he interjected.

"Just wanted to know whether you were okay."

House nodded his head."I'm fine."

Cuddy nodded and sauntered out of Houses office as he sat at his desk. After she was out of eyesight, he removed the photo cautiously from his pocket. Meticulous for preserving its condition. He examined the picture fastidiously, taking in the details as evocative memories flashed back to him. _It was the photo that was taken when they were at the hotel,_ he thought as he made note of the empty shot glasses. He studied his former lovers gentle face as he recalled the time they had spent together. It was arguably the best month of his life that he would be sempiternally grateful for; he had everlasting memories of happiness with this woman and the gift of a child she had bore him. _Despite the womans abrupt departure after the birth, he could never be angry or regret being with her. He was happy with her. And now he would forever be happy with Etta._


	48. Chapter 48: Camerons cultures

Wilson glimpsed into the pathology lab and strolled leisurely through the door, greeting Cameron with a smile. Cameron returned the smile and continued performing her blood tests and cultures.

"Quite high HGH levels," Wilson commented as he pointed at the blood culture hormone levels.

Cameron nodded. "The patients pregnant."

"Be a nice surprise for her."

"She's 7 months gone and out to here," Cameron gestured with her latex gloved hand. "I think she knows by now."

Wilson nodded. "Speaking of pregnancy," he spoke as he retrieved his cell phone from his lab coat pocket. "You know this person?"

Cameron took Wilsons cell in her hands and looked at the screen, studying the picture with great attention. "Is that House?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah- but do you know the woman?"

"Why would I?"

"I just wanted to find who took the photo. Whoever took the photo knows the woman and House. I know he had no clue about Etta being 'in-utero', so someone must have informed him when I'm assuming this woman was giving birth to her."

"Well the picture _is_ on your cell phone," Cameron teased.

"This is a picture _of_ the picture."

Cameron picked up her pipette and continued, "I would suggest House has other friends beside you. But I know you wouldn't buy that."

"Nobody would buy that," Wilson chuckled.

"Sorry I couldn't help."

Wilson thanked Cameron and placed a friendly hand on her arm. "What about Foreman and Chase? Would either of them- you know- have an idea?"

Cameron shook her head. "Don't think so. Although-" she paused. "Foreman was around a lot when Etta was born," she shrugged. "Ask him. He could know something. And let me know what happens."

_That was good point._ Foreman helped House and I build the cot when Etta first arrived. It would be logical to assume he perhaps introduced them as Foreman was the most social one on the team.

"Thanks Cameron."


	49. Chapter 49: House call

Chase trudged out of the bedroom. "No drugs or toxins."

Foreman rolled his eyes sympathetically, "look at this house. Too small to hide anything anyway."

The patients house was a tiny apartment which was poorly decorated. Only a picture of the patient and a young man in his military uniform adorned the wall in the living room. The furniture was immaculate and organized but did little to improve the aesthetics of the apartment.

Chase looked around as he and Foreman stood in the center of the hallway. "Poor girl has to live here? Cramped for one person but for two..."

"Things you put up with when your about to have a child. My parents raised me and my brothers in a house like this," Foreman explained as Chase entered the bathroom.

"Yes- being rich I never could comprehend that some people have to live in conditions like this."

Foreman sloped against the door frame of the bathroom as Chase foraged through the bathroom, inspecting the floor tiles for something he could sample. "Not what I meant, Chase."

"When my dad left the house was a wreck. My dad was too busy with his other kids to worry what me and my sister was dealing with," he said as he crouched down and reached a latexed hand around the back of the toilet. "But from what I've heard he was never to good with them either."

"I really wasn't sniping at you, Chase. Whats in that cupboard?"

Chase infiltrated the cupboard by harshly tugging the door. He retrieved one of the many identical boxes within the small cupboard beneath the sink. "Vitamin A?"

Foreman bent to Chases level and curiously inspected the boxes, "why would she need so many? She's poor so surely she could spend money more productively than on hoarding vitamin A supplements."

"Vitamin A overload could explain her symptoms."

"She'd of had to consume an awful lot a vitamin A to be vomiting and feeling drowsy," Foreman mumbled. Focusing on the white, cuboid box he examined in his hand.

"She has a whole cupboard full of vitamin A that can't be a coincidence."

"We need to call House."


	50. Chapter 50: The gift of life

House halted repeatedly throwing his ball against the walls of his office when his cell phone rang within his pocket.

"You boys find anything?"

"Yes," Foreman answered. "Tons of vitamin A- like a whole cupboard full. Hypervitaminosis actually explains all her symptoms."

House hesitated. "How much Vitamin A?"

"Just told you. Its like shes been hoarding vitamin A underneath her bathroom sink."

"Cool." House muttered. "Get back here as soon as you can."

"But House-"

House cut Foreman off and rose to his feet, seizing his cane before he strode out of the inner office.

* * *

"Stop the testing, its completely useless."

Cameron jumped. Surprised when House peered his head around the door of the pathology lab. "But I'm almost finished."

"That's what all my girlfriends say," House winked humorously. "But I'm not all that considerate. Come on, lets go."

Cameron scurried to her feet leaving the lab equipment unattended as she followed her boss down the hallway. "What do you know?"

"You'll see," House replied coyly.

Cameron sped her pace up to attempt to equal Houses brisk stride. "Wilson came to see me."

"Don't care." House slide the patients room door open and allowed Cameron to enter before him.

The young patient was sitting on her hospital bed attached to multiple wires. Her white blonde hair reflecting almost angelically the light that shone in from outdoors through the window. Her family members decorated the room with their presence. The way they allocated themselves suggested two couples. When House and Cameron filed in they all stared and perplexedly studied the doctors who had entered unannounced.

"Everybody leave the room," House said sharply as he stood at the foot of the patients bed. Changing his demeanor and the loving atmosphere within the room.

"But we're her parents," one softly spoken older woman answered pointing to herself and her partner. "And these are her in-laws."

House clutched a pair of white gloves from a box placed on the small table beside the bed. "Well you_ can_ stay for the anal exam if you want, but it may get awkward."

The four visitors rose up bewildered and removed themselves from the young womans room bemused. Cameron ushered them out, reassuring them with a positive gentle smile as they filtered themselves out. She drew the blinds as her anxiety began to grow at Houses bizarre behavior.

House gently sat himself on the edge of the young womans bed. Her innocent face and green eyes showing apprehension as her hand placed itself on her swollen belly, protecting the life within it.

"How hard is it without him?"

The patient looked at Cameron who only frowned back in confusion. "My husband?"

"No the other 'him' I'm talking about. How long we're you guys together before he croaked?"

Cameron grimaced at House inappropriate use of the word 'croaked'. _This was completely unprofessional and insensitive,_ she thought as she situated herself beside the door.

"Since we were 10. We got married last year."

"You miss him?"

The young woman swallowed back tears. "I miss him so much."

House looked on as the young womans eyes began to grow red, staring at him with pain and a desire to be comforted. She suddenly seemed to appear younger than she was.

"House stop it your upsetting her," Cameron scolded quietly as the young woman began to sob gently and clutched her chest.

"I know why you have so many vitamins at your place," he continued softly ignoring Cameron. "You tried to poison yourself."

"It's not fair," she sobbed. "I loved him so much. He loved us so much."

"Killing your baby won't make things right."

Cameron was taken aback. This woman wouldn't try to kill her baby. Right now it would be the most precious thing in her life. She had no money, no husband. That baby was the only speckle of hope she had.

"I know. But it can't live either."

"It never did anything wrong," House whispered comfortingly.

"I know. I'm all this baby's ever going to have and to me that isn't enough," she sobbed. Tears staining her unblemished face. "Why should my baby have to live a life of misery?"

"I'm sure you and your husband was excited when you found out you were pregnant. What changed?"

"He died. I can't raise my baby alone, he was always the stronger one out of us. Even when we were kids ourselves. My baby deserves better. It deserved to have my husband as a father. Its not fair for our baby. I can't do this," she gasped between each word she cried.

"You'd be surprised what you can do. I'm not saying it would be easy but..."

"I can't! My poor baby needs better. I can't do anything for it."

"How bad are you going to feel if your had died? Knowing you did that to your child? You only have to endure this for two more months. Then you bring your baby into the world and its dead. How would you feel knowing why this little baby has passed away?" House elucidated mournfully. "Think about it; everyday, five years from now, ten years from now. You'd be thinking my son or daughter would be 10 now. They'd be 11 now. I promise you, you are not going to be okay with that decision. You don't deserve to suffer that."

The young woman looked up to House, disbelieving his words. She felt as though she deserved to suffer; it was her fault she couldn't mother her child. She assumed the doctor was just saying these things._ That he didn't mean it._ But she was wrong.

"You can give it life," House continued. "You can give it nutrients, you can love it, protect it until it's born."

"But after. What's going to happen after?" She questioned. "This baby is the most wonderful baby in the world. What will it have after?"

"I'll get you in touch with an adoption agency. And we will find a place. A good place for your child."

The woman sat as she gently rubbed her bump.

"But you have to promise me that you will look after that baby in the meantime. Can you do that?"

"I can promise that to you."

"Now promise your baby."

The woman placed her hand gently on her stomach. "I promise," she whispered as a tiny tear crept own her cheek. The young woman hugged House, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his shoulder as she continued to cry. House and his patient knew it would be hard for her to give up the baby she loved, and even though he disagreed that this woman could offer her child the best life possible, he accepted this would be a good thing for this unborn child. He thought it was truly selfless of her and he held her.

Cameron left the room.


	51. Chapter 51: Home after a long days work

**Thank you to all you guys messaging and wishing me a happy 50th chapter. I was so glad the last chapter was so well received as I was apprehensive that it would be too distressing because of the delicate themes. Thank you guys again for following and reviewing, particularly to Old SF fan, and I'm extremely happy that people are enjoying reading this. **

* * *

House drummed his pen against his files as he labored rapidly through patient documents, records and referrals. He had been conscientious about the growing pile of paper for months and just hoped Cameron would work through them at her own accord. Albeit she did thunder through half of the documents herself, she refused to complete it claiming to be 'too busy with her own work'. When he questioned who was meant to do it all, Cuddy gave him a gentle reminder that it was his responsibility.

_At least it beat clinic duty,_ House thought to himself. Foreman, Chase and Cameron on the other hand had not been so fortunate. A case completed early meant longer clinic hours. However with the team being out of the way, the only sound that filled Houses office was the scratching of his pen dragging on the surface of paper.

"Good day!"

House pulled his attention from the files and removed his glasses as Dominika barged the door open with the pram.

"I know it only 3 o'clock," Dominika explained as she pushed the pram closer to Houses desk and taking a seat opposite him at his desk. "But Etta knew how much her daddy has been complaining that he wanted to spend more time with his little girl so she decided to surprise him."

House smirked. His mind easing as he laid eyes on Etta comfortably sitting within her pram. "Hey," House greeted. "I missed you." After today's events unraveling, he yearned to see his daughter. He swooped her up from the constraints of her pram and set her to face him on his left knee. Etta gurgled as he eyes studied her fathers features.

Dominika smiled. "She has been fidgeting all day. This is the first time she has sat still."

House smiled warmly at his daughter, standing her up on his lap as she reached her hands out. Desperate as always to smooth her hand over the stubble that ran across her fathers face. Etta's soft, tiny palms contrasting his prickly overgrowth. House pecked a small kiss on her hand as she ran it over his mouth.

"Thanks for bringing her over."

"No problem," Dominika replied. "It was all Etta's idea anyway. I go to store now and pick up groceries. Has the Wilson moved out yet?"

"Pfft," House dismissed. "He's like a stray cat. Once you let him in he just doesn't leave."

Dominika chuckled as she placed a kiss on House and Etta's cheek and rose to her feet. "See you guys when you get home." She collected her purse that hung from the handle bars of the pram before sauntering out of the office, leaving House and Etta together.

Ettas eyes darted around the room as she sucked on her fathers sky blue shirt collar. Taking in the outlay of the office as she stood on her fathers lap, her body supported by Houses hand. He held her close to his chest with his arm as he played with her thick, dark locks. Etta rested her head continuing to suck his shirt as House closed his eyes.

_This was just what he needed. _

* * *

Wilson rummaged through his pocket and collected his key in his clasp as he stood outside Houses door. The faint sound of music could be detected through the door but when he opened it the sound of electric guitars and drums flooded into Wilsons ears. He entered the threshold of the apartment to see House lying on his side on the floor near the fireplace as he played with Etta. Her dark brown hair disheveled from vigorous play as she sat next to her father upon a soft square blanket that had been spread across the living room.

"Nice to come home to some peace and quiet," Wilson called over the sound of the stereo almost tripping on the coffee table that had been positioned out from the sitting area.

"You can hear me, can't you? Besides music helps babies intellectual development," House yelled back.

Wilson removed the strap of his bag and set his key on the table beside the front door."I'm pretty sure it's classical music that does that. Not classic rock."

House grabbed a squeaky toy hammer that was thrown in among the toys that were spewed around the crafted playstation and handed it to Etta who beat it repeatedly on the ground in front of her. "It has the word 'classic' in it, what more do you want from me?"

"Can I turn it down a tad?"

"Nope."

Wilson was positive a neighbor would call round complaining about the noise of 'chelsea daggers' screaming from living room stereo on repeat, but on the other hand if they did call round nobody in the apartment would hear them. Wilson collapsed on the couch exhausted. Finally home after a long day.

He had asked almost everybody who had a pulse in the hospital to identify the woman in the photo that he had, unknown to House, saved on his phone but had made no progress. However as he observed House and Etta playing on the floor, music bursting out so loud that the vibrations could be felt within Wilsons chest, he realized that it was irrelevant who was Etta's mother. Wilson of course had not finished meddling, not even nearly. But from the looks of things all Etta would ever need was House.


	52. Chapter 52: It was him

Wilson combed his hair in front of the bathroom mirror, meticulously brushing each blonde lock into place. An emotional emergency with one of his patients had pressured him to get ready for work today. Wilson peered into Houses bedroom as he straightened his tie. House was snoring gently as his arm was cradled around Etta, both of them soundly asleep in his bed. Wilson tip toed inaudibly beside the bed and nudged House awake.

"Gonna go to work," Wilson whispered.

House grunted. "Its Saturday."

"Patient emergency. I'll be back before you know it."

House rolled his eyes. Keeping his voice low,"so you woke me up to tell me your going and that you'll 'be back before I know it'? Why tell me?_ I never would have known!" _

Etta stirred slightly causing both men to hold their breath. After she had settled Wilson and House exhaled a breath of relief as Wilson begged goodbye and departed for the hospital. Leaving House and Etta to sleep in this early Saturday morning.

* * *

Wilson entered the lobby of the hospital. Princeton Plainsboro was tranquil beside the few people decorated in the clinic and the male nurse organizing and shuffling documents at the desk. The 7 o'clock morning summer sun peeking through the windows of the hospital greeting the people within.

"I apparently got a call about a patient," Wilson questioned. His mind still groggy from a disrupted sleep.

The nurse standing at the desk nodded . "She say's she's had enough. Thought you might be able to talk to her. She's waiting in your office." He handed Wilson the patients file as Wilson hastily perused it then closed on itself again.

Wilson thanked the nurse and marched to the elevator, clutching his patients file within his hands. He fastidiously weaved what he would say to his patient when he arrived at his office. He just hoped she wasn't a lost cause like so many other patients of his. This patient was important. He knew he had had issues with motivating her to pursue her treatment before. It was like a sempiternal battle with most of his patients.

Wilson strode down the hall and headed towards his office when suddenly a firm clasp on his arm brought him to a.

"Dr. Wilson I didn't know you were in today."

Wilson turned round to the hands owner." . Nice to see you. Gotta patient problem." He hastily explained gesturing to his office, eager to attend to his patient.

"Your friends with , right?"

"If he did anything to annoy you I can assure you the answer is no," Wilson joked light heatedly as he attempted to hurry his conversation with . _God knew he was one of the slowest speakers in the hospital. _

chuckled. "No its just after his daughters appointment I wanted him to contact me again as I gathered some information for him about his daughters condition, he probably doesn't need it being a doctor himself but-"

Wilson injected immediately,"no wait- are you talking about Houses daughter. Houses Etta."

Simpson confirm. Nodding his aging head."Yes. Its just he seemed upset so I guess that's why he didn't try to reach me."

Wilson stood confused, concerning growing as Simpson blathered. "What condition? Is she okay."

"Sorry I can't tell you. Confidentiality rules. But get House to give me a call." Simpson attempted to turn to leave but Wilsons hand abruptly caught his arm, almost paining him as he grasped him.

"Anything you can tell House you can tell me. Is there something wrong?"

Doctor Simpson looked anxiously at Wilson who seemed to be growing slightly ill-tempered with him. "Sorry I can't. Haven't you got a patient you have to get too?"

* * *

A frail young woman sat patiently on Wilsons office chair. Her skin obviously once vibrant was now dull and her eyes once alive with life was now filled with weariness. She played with the strap of her purse she had set within her lap, pulling her exhausted fingers.

"Hey," Wilson greeted softly as he opened the door. "Gracey. Its good to see you."

"James," she smiled delicately.

He took his usual office chair as he grasped her hand within his on the desk. "I heard from the nurses you aren't having the best time."

"I don't think I can do this anymore," she confessed honestly.

Wilson raised an eyebrow sympathetically. "You've said that before. Two years ago, remember? You got through it then."

She placed her second hand on his and smiled warmly. "I have just had enough this time."

Wilson shook his head stubbornly. "We can beat this. I know we can. You feel like this now but I promise you this; we're going to be okay. Just give it a little more time," he suggested.

Gracey sighed. "I'm not exactly mother Theresa. I won't be leaving anything behind, James."

"Live a little longer and you can do all those things you told me about; Italy, marriage, babies. You can do it all but you won't be able to if your no longer breathing."

Gracey chewed on her dry bottom lip thoughtfully. "Do you really think I'll live that long to do all those things?"

Wilson smiled warmly and softly pecked her lips, gently dragged a finger across her cheek affectionately. "I know you will."

* * *

Chase looked lovingly down at Ettas face as he fed her. Watching her suckle hungrily on her bottle as he cradled her on Houses couch. Ettas dark hair blending into Chases dark leather jacket as he held her in his arms. He always savored the time they spent together on a Saturday morning. She would soon be 7 months old. _Where has the time gone?_ Chase thought to himself. It felt as though it was only a week ago that she was a sweet newborn, born on the first day of January. But now she was growing quickly.

Chase turned his head as he heard the door open, expecting it to be House.

"Hello," Wilson said slowly in bemusement. Surprised to see Chase sitting in Houses apartment with his daughter. Wilson set his bag down as he approached the couch where Chase and Etta situated.

"Hi," Chase replied awkwardly.

"Wheres...Um- House?"

"Round the store. Dominika forgot diapers yesterday and we're running low," Chase explained as he continued feeding Etta in his arms. "Be back soon, though. He thought you were going to be at work today."

Suddenly it hit Wilson as he watched Chase hold Etta. _It was him._ Chase was the one who took the photo. In no universe thinkable would House permit someone to hold Etta, a person so dear to him that he adored, let alone babysit her unless they were already close to her and him in some way. Wilson stood beside the couch quizzically.

_All this time I suspected it was Foreman,_ Wilson thought.


	53. Chapter 53: Don't rock the boat

Wilson reflected on the events of the weekend. There had been an objectionable awkwardness cast upon the House apartment for the entirety of the weekend when Wilson had arrived back from work on that Saturday and witnessed Chase babysitting Etta. When House had come back from the store, diapers in hand, neither him nor Chase had enlightened Wilson as to why Chase was at Houses apartment. It wasn't as if they were 'bros' as House had always described his close bond with Wilson. It appeared that they were just boss and schmoozer.

"So if I rest my fingers will the pain stop?" The small red-headed patient gently caressed her tender fingers as Wilson sat examining them. Carefully inspecting them, considerate of her discomfort.

"Not completely right away," he elucidated as sat himself on the small metal stool. "The tendons are inflamed so the itchiness, discomfort and swelling you complained about should subside a little after a while. Its probably inflamed because of exertion. You need to give them a rest, is that okay?"

"But I have my SAT's tomorrow. I can't put it off," she panicked. "Can't you give me anything?"

"Other than non-inflammatory medication there's very little I can prescribe."

Chase rapped his knuckles on the clinic door and popped his head around, his blonde hair reflecting the light that beamed from the fixed ceiling light as his locks moved with his head. "Gotta minute, ?"

"Just a minute." Wilson retrieved his prescription pad from the pocket of his long, white jacket. Scribbling on it messily and tearing off the script. "Here Hannah," he said passing the young girl the script, "I hope this helps. It's ibuprofen. You should be able to take your SAT's tomorrow without your tendons bothering you."

The young girl thanked Wilson and smiled gratefully before gathering her belongings and leaving the examination room of the clinic leaving Chase able to take her place.

"Alright," Chase began. "I'll tell you. But you have to swear you'll keep it to yourself."

"I don't understand," Wilson whined. Fed up from all the secrecy. "_Why is this such a big thing?"_

"It's not that big a thing. Its just sensitive."

Wilson gestured to Chase to spill the information.

Chase shuffled in his seat uncomfortably. "My dad left my mom when her drinking started to get out of hand and he moved over here and got remarried. So last year around March time I got in contact and planned to meet one of my half siblings," Chase explained hastily. Attempting not to prevent offering Wilson too much of an insight into his personal problems. "I only met one of them because she was the only one who was open minded enough to believe I wasn't a blundering drunk like my mother."

"Okay..." Wilson said slowly. Struggling to see how all this linked up to the story.

"So when the day was approaching I couldn't focus on anything else-"

"-You got distracted," Wilson interjected. "I'm guessing House picked up on that. Started poking around?" Wilson suggested.

Chase nodded in confirmation. "I told him I'd be taking that day off for personal reasons."

"He followed you the day you were going to meet your sibling," Wilson finished. "He wouldn't be House if he didn't pry. I'm guessing your sister and him hit it off?"

Chase scoffed. "I'd say they more than hit it off."

Wilson cast his memory back to April last year. It would have been about that time Etta would have had to of been conceived._ Hindsight really is 20/20 vision,_ Wilson thought. Recalling how House hadn't caused much trouble during that period (of course he caused some; but that was just him). Wilson cursed himself that he never took notice of that fact beforehand. He could have known then if he had been more diligent! He had just assumed that House was having a good pain day or having really good sex with a prostitute._ Apparently he had been having sex just not with a prostitute. _

"What was Houses reaction when he met her?"

Chase chuckled."When he stalked me there he assumed that I was dating her. He told her that she 'should be more careful with people she planned to date as there were a lot of lonely men about'. Of course this was aimed to embarrass me by trying to creep her out about me."

"I can imagine she didn't take to kindly to that. Her, I'm assuming older half brother, being insulted by a complete stranger."

Chase shook his head,"actually she replied; 'don't worry I won't let any of them grope you."

Wilson raised his eyebrows and chuckled, impressed. "Can see why House liked her. So how did they get together? You don't get a baby from hair pulling and teasing."

"He had dinner with us. He sat down with us, under the illusion that I was dating her and continued taking the piss out of me, until he found out I wasn't dating her of course," Chase blathered. "Guess it became fair game for him at that point."

Wilson frowned in bemusement. Chase had still neglected to inform him completely."Well where is she now? Why'd she leave?"

Chase shrugged as he bit his bottom lip. "I continued seeing her and chatting with her until she went into labor. Neither House nor I had any idea. _I mean she hid it extremely very well._ I had no clue until I got the call from her telling me requesting me to accompany her to the hospital."

Wilson shook his head bewildered," _But why hide it?_ Didn't House deserve to know she might be knocked up with his kid?" He exclaimed waving his hands wildly.

"That's what I said; so I called him." Chase burst out

"He came round the hospital? _Who else was there?_"

"Nobody," Chase said dourly. "It was just us three. She was unhappily married. I don't think her guy was exactly pleasant. She let slip once she had thought of leaving before, but my dad always talked her into persevering with it. Probably from guilt of leaving my mom. But I don't think my dad was clued up to the severity of how abusive this marriage had gotten as he'd already relocated back to Australia for retirement. My sister was never a wimp, she was strong enough to handle it by herself."

"Well where is she now?"

"Don't know. I stopped talking to her after she left House and Etta. I assumed she was a selfish bitch and prematurely cut her out but as I found out lately; I didn't just know the full story. I don't know where she is now."

"Do you have anyway of contacting her?"

"No. I doubt she'd be able to come back." Chase rubbed her forehead. Stress and strong emotion overwhelming him,"you can't tell House about it."

"Why! What happens when Etta get older and asks; _'wheres mommy?"_

"I don't know. It's just that House is fine right now. I don't want to be the one who rocks the boat."

Cuddy swung the clinic door open. "Wow. This is new," she denigrated placing her hands on her hips as she stood in the door way. "Usually its House avoiding clinic duty. Nice to know its catching," she ribbed.

"Sorry. Its-just-er," Chase stuttered causing Cuddy to raise an eyebrow questioningly and smirk in amusement.

"House can't lie to me and neither can you Chase," she rallied as she beamed. "Get back to work please, guys. Wilson you have another patient waiting."

Cuddy turned on her heel, closing the door behind her as she sauntered back out. Chase turned back to Wilson as he stood up, ready to leave._"_The boat is fine and will remain fine as long as you don't rock it. Where ever she is she's gone. We can take care of Etta and House, so lets preoccupy ourselves with them."

Wilson sighed. Coy wasn't a word he'd use to describe himself, and keeping a secret from House made him extremely weary, but Chase was right. His sister most likely didn't want to leave but there was nothing Wilson could do to help that. The only thing they could do was look out for House and Etta.

_Ignorance is bliss as they say._

**Authors note: Hopefully this chapter wasn't too cringeworthy or cheesy as I felt it was when I was writing it. I can't say it's my favorite chapter but I promise the future chapters will be better, but there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered and I knew I couldn't let them hanging. However there is some other items that are still yet to be explained, so I promise when they come up they won't be so poorly written :)**


	54. Chapter 54: Daddy

**2 months later**

"Open for daddy! And open for daddy!"

Etta sat on Houses office desk stubbornly with her small mouth closed as House persevered with trying to feed her. Her thick, plump lips sealed shut as he redundantly placed the spoon too her mouth, attempting to entice her. Instead she gripped tightly onto her 6 inch, white rabbit. Fastidiously studying each detail as she observed it in her hands, completely ignoring her father as she was too occupied. House wondered how Dominika even managed to feed her at lunch times when she was in this type of mood.

"9 months old and already ignoring you," Cameron said in amusement as she sauntered into Houses office. Her brown hair tied back loosely in a ponytail that bounced with each movement she made.

House sighed derisively,"I know. It's usually you everyone ignores, now I know how its feels." Finally giving up House placed the spoon in the jar of creamed apple porridge, set it on the desk beside his rebellious daughter and pointed to Camerons hand. "Gimme me."

Cameron passed the blue file to House and directed her attention to Etta. "Hello Etta. Is Dominika busy today? Lucky you," Cameron cooed, "you get to spend lunchtime with daddy today." She stroked Ettas cheek with her warm, slender finger. Delicately dragging it along Ettas smooth skin as continued to play with her toy, oblivious to Camerons attention whilst her father studied the file.

"Etta," Cameron repeated trying to get Ettas attention. "Etta."

"She's obviously too busy ignoring you, Cameron." House shucked as he regarded the patient file, reading through each page.

Cameron frowned in slight concern,"well at this age she'd be responding to her own name."

House keep his attention within the pages of the file as he discounted Cameron,"I don't respond to you either when you call my name." House looked up briefly and smirked mockingly,"so maybe its a genetic thing."

Chase and Foreman entered Houses office from the adjacent outer office.

"You boys are late," he stated. "What kind of example are you setting for the little one?"

Foreman and Chase removed their jackets, settling themselves in. "We in trouble?" Foreman questioned in confusion.

"Nope. Your just in time." House passed the file back to Cameron and resumed to attempt to feed his stubborn child. "21 year old male with Postural orthostatic tachycardic syndrome. Go."

"He could have a berry aneurysm against his brain stem that his pressing against his vagus nerve," Chase suggested.

House paused quizzically from trying to gently spoon food into his child's mouth,_"that_ is actually a decent idea. My ducklings have left the nest. This one however..." House re-examined his watch. _She would definitely be hungry around this time,_ he thought. "Open for daddy. You know you wanna."

Etta pulled her attention from her toy and mumbled incoherently.

"That's right," House encouraged. "Daddy needs you to eat something."

"Could also be a Chiari malformation. Need to do a MRI to be sure," Foreman counter argued.

Etta babbled again,"dah."

"Daddy," House blathered back, his attention on the food within the jar that he stirred. Cameron, Foreman and Chase engaged in a differential, their voices but background noise filling the room.

"Daddy."

House paused in astonishment, unsure if he heard what he thought he heard. He peered up to Foreman, Cameron and Chase who had also paused from chattering aimlessly in the background about the patient. All four of them gawking at the infant that sat on Houses desk in front of him, waiting for confirmation for what they were uncertain they heard.

"Daddy," House repeated quietly.

"Daddy," Etta murmured. Her voice crystal clear as she looked at House. Her plump bottom lip glistening lightly from saliva.

A wide grin spread across the faces of Chase, Foreman and Cameron as House gasped and set the jar of food on the edge of the table. "Did you just say my name?" He asked in confusion as he gawped at his team who stood on their feet unmoved.

"Daddy."

She said it again. House plucked his daughter from his desk and embraced her. "Etta, you clever girl."

"Oh my god. Her first word," Foreman exclaimed. He turned to Chase who just simpered in shock.

"At least it's not idiot," Chase joked.

House held his daughter as Etta babbled her first word repeatedly as she rested her head against his chest. Clumping Houses shirt as she was gently swayed by an ecstatic House. Cameron immediately released her phone from the constraints of her pocket and filmed Etta, desperate to capture Etta speaking for the first time.

Cuddy and Wilson walked past Houses office but stopped and entered abruptly, curious as to what was occurring.

"Whats happening? _Whats wrong?_" Cuddy asked in concern before she and Wilson were dragged to House and Ettas side by an excited Chase.

"Her first word," Chase explained as Cuddy and Wilson listened intently.

"Etta. Tell Mama Cuddy and uncle Wilson what you just said," Cameron said. Neglecting to put her phone down with the happiness still apparent on her face.

"Tell me what you said Etta," Cuddy cooed. Attempting to encourage Etta to repeat her first word. "Tell Cuddy what you said."

"Daddy."

Cuddy clasped her hands over her mouth in pleasant surprise as Wilson beamed. House transferred Etta from his arms to Cuddys as she praised Etta, her eyes threatening to tear over.

"You clever, clever girl!" Cuddy said planting a small kiss on the infants soft forehead.

"Yep. She loves me that much," House teased with pride. His face expressing a tint of pride.

As everyone crowded round Etta, amazed and overjoyed, House bathed in Ettas achievement. He now felt himself slowly understanding the type of parent he'd be. The silently proud parent. He smirked as he stroked Ettas dark locks with his finger tips, her eyes oblivious to all their loved ones as they cheered around her, which were only locked on him. House grinned inwardly with pride.

_I was her first word,_ House thought.


	55. Chapter 55: The next three months

**3 months later.**

"Sometimes I am wrong. I have a gift for observation, for reading people in situations. But sometimes I am wrong. I will test you in ways you will consider; Unfair, demeaning and illegal. And you'll often be right."

House softly plucked the strings of his guitar, sitting upon the large, strong desk of the otherwise hushed lecture room.

"By the end of 6 weeks one of you will be gone." House looked up menacingly, "as will 28 more of you."

The room full of 40 candidates looked on as House studied them. Meticulously surveying the room of potential team members; some growing with anxiety, some growing with excited anticipation and a select few just monotonous.

_Even if this is unsuccessful,_ House thought,_ at the very least the game will be eventful while it lasts._

* * *

House strode down the hall, heading for Wilsons office. His cane beating heavily on the ground with each stride. Chase, Cameron and Foreman had given their notice to quit the team, each desiring to pursue new career paths within the hospital, almost 3 weeks ago. Leaving House the ability to leisurely interview potential employee's across this period of time. To be able to carefully select and reject doctors sensibly; but of course this was never going to be in Houses nature.

"House," Cuddy yelled, catching up to him and marching by his side. "Why are there 40 doctors in my lecture hall?"

House drolly bit his lip ,"trying to make the worlds biggest flash mob. Think I might need some more people though. Wanna join?"

Cuddy raised her eyebrows at Houses impudence,"join? I want to break it up!"

"Fine," House replied."It can be just you and me then. But you gotta flash me first."

Cuddy rolled her eyes and set her hand firmly on Wilsons door as they arrived at it, preventing House from entering momentarily. "You have to get rid of them."

"I will... Over several weeks."

"Chase, Foreman and Cameron offered to interview replacements for you in the build up to them leaving diagnostic medicine. Why didn't you take that offer up instead of designing a cut throat lil' game without my permission?"

House rolled his eyes in derision,"because Cameron would of melted over the first doctor who said they 'wanted to help people'. _You know how much she sucks that crap up_. Foreman would have picked a humorless hard-ass like himself, and Chase would of selected the first person he met because lets face it; he's half assed about everything."

"There. You would of had a carbon copy of your old team," Cuddy said simply before reconsidering. "Unless... You would of found it too painful to be working with people who reminded you of your old team?"

House peered down on Cuddys perfect face. She smirked up at him, completely aware that she had pinpointed Houses reluctance to hire new lackees, her hand still cemented on Wilsons door. Feeling uncomfortable, House rapped on Wilsons door, mocking Cuddy as he pulled a sarcastic expression.

"Just gotta knock on this door...Apparently that's what people do when they stand in front of one," he ribbed.

Cuddy removed her hand from the wood of the door as Wilson opened it bemused. Perplexed to see House and Cuddy standing before him. _Usually it was only one at a time that came to bitch about the other._

"Couples counselling has been cancelled today," Wilson rallied humorously. "I was gonna tell you guys, but seems as I'm not your therapist..."

Cuddy merely glanced at Wilson before sauntering back down the hall to work as Wilson welcomed House in. Wilson took his usual designated spot at his desk as House stretched his body down onto his couch. Propping his feet on the arm rest on the couch as he laid on it.

"So what's new? Any Christmas plans?"

House removed a rubber band from the pocket of his jacket and began toying with it as he spoke. "My mom called. Said shes coming down. Apparently wanting to see her grandchild before Christmas is a big deal."

Wilson scoffed,"yeah. _Since when has coming to see grandchildren on Christmas been something that's 'important'?"_

"Well what?" House questioned. "Ettas not even 1 yet; she won't remember whether her grammy spent Christmas with her or not."

Wilson chuckled as he organised the papers on his desk, filing them away into his desk draw as House whined.

"And besides," House continued, "I'd be spending Christmas at your place if you'd even invited me around since you moved out."

Wilson frowned light heatedly,"and you wonder why I don't want a holiday hating misanthrope at my house on Christmas?"

"Only reason you wouldn't," House thought out loud as he put his finger to his lips thoughtfully,"is because you're trying to hide something._ Or someone._ What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one," Wilson joked. "Apparently it's one of those birth defects," he shrugged comically.

House huffed grumpily, noticing the time. "Gotta go. The crowd is waiting for me."

House rose to his feet, gripping his cane as he exited Wilson's office. _Setting himself to see his 40 candidates._


End file.
